


Isolation

by Slaskia



Series: Zendou [1]
Category: Halo
Genre: Abandonment, Gen, Isolation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-30
Updated: 2009-08-30
Packaged: 2017-11-16 14:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/540510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slaskia/pseuds/Slaskia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before he became Ambassador, or even SpecOps, Zeno was just a rookie minor looking for his place and acceptance among his peers. Things, however, have taken a very bad turn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_Approx 23 years before the first Halo event_

The world as he knew it was dark, warm, and comforting. Around him, he could feel the warm embrace, holding him, protecting him from whatever unfathomable dangers could be beyond those gentle walls.  As comfortable and calm as this world was, it was also _noisy_. Constantly resounding in his ear holes was a duet of rhythmic pounds and at semi-regular intervals, he would hear a squishy growl that rumbled on for some time. Sometimes he would hear other noises, from far behind the walls, sounds of various tones and pitch that he could not comprehend. 

Eventually, he grew aware of another in this world with him.  At first, he was content to leave it be, but lately it would press against him, and he would press back at it.  But this world seemed to be shrinking, little by little, so he didn’t notice it until the other was now almost constantly pressed up against him.  Like the walls, the other was warm too, but its warmth paled compared to the warmth of the walls. It also made sounds: a similar duet of rhythmic beating, but like its warmth, it paled in comparison to the greater one.  Eventually he came to enjoy the other beings presence:  it made him feel not so alone in this world. 

This world was all he knew and he was comfortable and safe within its embrace. Yet deep in the consciousness of his developing mind he wondered if there was more. What was it like beyond the protective, warm barrier? Was this all there was? He loved it here, safe and warm, and he had the other keeping him company, but he couldn’t help but wonder. 

Then one day, his world seemed to be thrown into turmoil. The walls moved, constricted against him and the other as if trying to bring his doom. Did he do something wrong that angered this world? Was it angry that he started to desire something more? He knew not and was helpless against the relentless assault. 

Soon he felt the sense that something was missing, and realized the other was no longer there with him. And he felt a new something, somewhere deep inside. He felt sad and alone. Was it gone? Did it abandon him?  Had it left him to face this angry world on his own?  What if it didn’t enjoy his presence as much as he enjoyed it?  What if? The walls were still pushing against him and he finally realized that he was no longer welcome. Where was he to go though? And where was the other? 

The world suddenly lightened to a purplish hue and the comforting warmth left him. Shocked, he tried to move away instinctively, only to notice for the first time a thin and somewhat flexible barrier restricting his movements. It didn’t take much to break this barrier.  Once he did, the warmth disappeared almost completely.  He shivered briefly until a sense of warmth returned, but it was nothing like he had felt in the old world. 

Tiny mandibles splayed open as he took his first breath, emitting a squeal that shocked him. He had heard sounds before, in the old world, but it was the first time he made such a sound himself. Along with his first breath, so came the sense of smell: a multitude of new scents assaulting the olfactory organs in his throat.  He stayed still, overwhelmed by the new means of gathering information from his surroundings and uncertain how to interpret them yet. 

Then he opened his eyes. 

At first, he felt fear, seeing all these new colors, fear that was quickly replaced with curiosity. He looked around, starting to assess his surroundings anew, using both his new sight and his new smell. Then he remembered touch, suddenly aware of the softness underneath him. Looking down he saw two dark brown things, each with four smaller things attached to them. The large things moved. The smaller things flexed. Leaning down he sniffed them, then nipped experimentally. 

A new sensation: pain. His brain made the connection that those dark brown things were a part of him. He took interest in himself, rolling onto his side so he could see himself more fully and discovered his feet. Fascinated, he watched as he moved them about, getting a feel of their range of motion. The same he did with his hands and stretched out his arms.  He flexed his fingers, stretching them, even biting them to be sure they were his and did not belong to someone else. Ouch! Yes, they were his. 

Then there was a new sound; one that he did not make himself. He turned his head toward the source and found he was not alone. There was a large figure reclining close by, brown in color. He lay there, transfixed, as this figure leaned closer, green orbs set within its elongated head. Then he caught a fresh whiff of its scent and found the sudden, slightly sweet smell familiar. His instincts told him this new thing, despite its size, was no threat. The figure nuzzled him, its entire face covering his torso, and he knew he had nothing to fear. The sensation caused an involuntary reaction with his body, his legs and arms waving as he giggled: his first laugh.  He moved forward, stumbling really, trying to take hold of the thing’s muzzle, not wanting it to ever leave him. 

But it did.  It pulled away and he felt that sadness, until he became aware of other figures close by. One came up and lifted him from his perch. The smell of this one was unfamiliar, though also had a hint of sweetness to it. Though its grip brought a measure of warmth, he felt threatened and thus attempted to bite. The new figure was able to keep his little mandibles away from its flesh as it seemed to inspect him. He didn’t like this one: he wanted the other one back. Finally, it put him down again, only in a soft depression that was separate from the platform he was on before. 

He squawked in protest: he didn’t want to be separated from the one he felt safe with. Somehow he managed to crawl to the edge of the depression, only to find a great space between him and the other. Something touched him then, making him jump. He turned around and snapped at it instinctively, only to see another, this one much smaller than the others. Indeed, this one was about the same size as he and had the same green orbs as the first large figure. 

They stared at each other for a moment; then he cautiously edged closer and took a sniff, the other doing the same to him. Their snouts touched, and they both jumped back in surprise. Yet he realized this one was familiar to him as well, though he could not place from where. Did this one come from the old world as well? It didn’t matter, as again his instincts were saying there was no threat here. In fact, he felt something, something that took away that sadness at not having the big thing to nuzzle him or the safe warmth of the walls. The other then yawned and he yawned in turn. Discovering all these new things had tired him and he lay down to rest. He felt the other lay down next to him and instinctively they intertwined, sharing their heat. 

His eyes grew heavy. The other one yawned again and its warm breath blew over him. He started to drift, but before they could fall into sleep, they would be disturbed by yet another large thing. This one though towered over them, towered over everyone, dark brown skin barely visible underneath large, hard-looking shiny yellow scales. This one’s scent was musky and imposing, making him shrink away slightly. Two large hands then lifted him up and away from his new-found companion and he squawked in protest at being removed yet again from a source of warmth and comfort. 

He tried to bite, only to find his small teeth were not able to make any dent in this one’s hide. So instead he glared at it, their eyes locking. This new thing did not seem fazed at all, it seemed more amused actually, as, like the figure before, it looked him over. Then it made a sound, a sort of certainty in it. Its firmness so fitting with its strength. 

Zeno. 

He was put back with his companion then, whom he happily curled back up with. The other sniffled, and he would come to learn that meant it was sad. It seemed to miss him too. Quickly they drifted off asleep. Not knowing nor understanding yet that the sound that figure had made was his new name.


	2. The hunt

_Planet Truy V, 8 years before the first Halo event._  

“I am Zeno ‘Ribalee.  I am Sangheili.”  

With one hand on the rock, he closed his eyes and concentrated.  “I am Sangheili…” he said again, louder this time.  “My name is Zeno ‘Ribalee.” 

This was a ritual he started undergoing recently, for the isolation he was under was starting to affect his mind.  He had lost track of how long he had been stuck, alone, on this miserable planet, with the only other sentient beings present being those heretics.  Those heathens.  Monsters!  He’d take the Brutes over them any day.  The Humans, he would avoid at all costs. 

Above him, the sole sun was rising to reveal a lush green forest, and along with it the creatures of the day started to stir.  There was the damp, fresh smell of morning dew in the air.  Insects started to buzz about and the native flying creatures took to the air to hunt and shriek what passed as their territorial calls.  On the ground, things that crept and crawled scuttled and slithered on the forest floor, while larger animals awakened to start browsing on the foliage, or to hunt the browsers. 

Occasionally, one would spot him and hiss or growl, before scampering away into the underbrush.  He was thin and malnourished, his strength and endurance not what it once was.  His armor was tarnished, dented, filthy and in a couple of places, starting to rust.  The battlesuit underneath his armor was worn, tattered and starting to develop large holes, leaving his dark brown skin with even less protection from the elements and biting insects.  Yet, despite his obvious weakened state, due to his size and ‘alien’ presence, the wildlife avoided him. 

Now, it was not just his physical state that was deteriorating, but his sanity was starting to wane as well.  He wondered if he _should_ approach those humans and ask for asylum.  “Dishonor yourself further?  Are you insane?” he snapped at himself. “Honor?  What good has honor done for me?  And as far as everyone is concerned, I am likely either dead or a deserter to them.  It cannot go any lower then this, so why even bother clinging to honor?” 

“Better to be thought dead then to be known as a heretic! Honor is all I have left.” 

Zeno shuddered, remembering.  He didn’t care much about himself at this point: he just wanted his suffering to end.  But there were those back home, on Sanghelios, that did not deserve the bite of an executioners blade for something _he_ did.  

“Lila…Kaidon…”  he whispered to himself, silent tears leaking from his eyes.  Memories started flooding back.  Memories he had kept buried for so long, for surely they would do him no good here.  But the two people that truly cared about him came to the surface of his tormented mind.  He concluded that he would not dishonor them by doing something out of desire to preserve his life and sanity.  Better for him to die starving and insane than for him to soil his honor further. 

“But why…Why did it come to this?”  Zeno looked to the sky, barely visible through the thick canopy.  “Is it because of what I am...Gods?  Is that why you keep punishing me?”  There was no answer forthcoming:  there never was. 

With a sigh, Zeno lowered his head and forced himself to get moving.  If he was going to continue to live, no matter how pointless it seemed to him right now, he needed to find sustenance.  His time alone had not been kind to his body: he had lost over a third of his weight.  His armor now shifted about his body easily, no longer hugging closely the contours of his form.  Patches of flesh were rubbed raw.  He dare not take it off completely however, for though dirty and dented it still offered some protection from the elements; though the battery for his shield generator and other armor systems had finally died a few days back.  It was a blessing they had lasted as long as they had.  Thank the Forerunners! 

He backtracked to where he knew there was a stream; one he had been lingering near for a couple of days now.  In his hearts he knew he should leave the area soon, today actually, for the human patrols may swing close enough to notice signs of his presence and he did _not_ want them to find him.  Damn them, the humans.  The reason he never built shelters, craft himself tools to hunt larger game or built a fire for warmth was because those heathens must never, _ever_ , find him. 

The stream was small, but deep enough that he could dip his head in and take in few gulps of precious, sweet water.  A bit undignified, but his whole situation was ‘undignified’ to start with.  Looking in the water, he saw a few fish-like creatures swimming beneath the surface.  He was tempted to try to catch one, but remembered how long it took him to do so last time; he found them rather horrible tasting.  They made him sick.  That was back when his situation first started and in his current state he doubted his body would be strong enough to fight off any toxins the creature had this time. 

With the fish out of the question he moved upstream as quietly as he could, hoping to come across some of the terrestrial residents.  Coming around a bend, he spotted a medium sized animal with a small herd of youths.  Heading to the stream for a drink no doubt.  Quickly he crouched down to avoid being seen and carefully crept closer. 

The creatures were short, stocky things.  The big one had a thick shell-like covering on its back and a nasty looking, sharp horn on its snout: too dangerous for him in his current state to try to tackle.  The little ones however, were hornless and the protective back shielding looked soft and undeveloped.  The challenge would be to snag one or two without the mother goring him. 

Patience.  Patience was the key and he lay still, hoping the wind didn’t shift as he waited.  The mother started wallowing in the mud by the stream, most of the youths copying her.  A couple of them started to roam, snapping up little bugs greedily.  Zeno tried not to get too eager and kept himself still as one of the youths wandered his way.  _Patience…Patience…_   He reminded himself as his stomach reminded _him_ that it was empty and needed food. 

The wind shifted.  The mother jumped onto its feet in alarm and bellowed a warning cry.  Immediately she started to run, her babies with her.  Zeno had no choice, and so he sprang from his hiding place.  He missed the one that was closest to him but noticed out of the corner of his eye that one of the others had slipped in the mud.  Quickly he jumped for it and managed to get a hold of one of its legs. 

Now in his grasp, he grabbed the youth by the head and twisted, snapping its neck.  But this was not before it had cried out in distress and the mother heard.  Before he could give in to temptation to start devouring the morsel now, he heard the mother bellow in rage.  Looking up, he saw the mother charging him, her sharp horn leading.  Zeno struggled to get to his feet, but the same mud that had doomed the baby now threatened to doom him.  So instead he rolled, the mother just missing him with that deadly horn.  Zeno scrambled to his feet, thinking he was out of immediate danger.  He was wrong.  The mother was more agile than he anticipated and managed to turn and swing her head to the side, catching him on the leg. 

The impact caused him to lose his balance and fall back into the mud, his arms partly sinking into its embrace.  In desperation, he kicked out, slamming his armored hoof into the mother’s side.  The blow knocked her off her feet, stunning her.  If he was healthier, he would have taken advantage and attempt to snap her neck as well, resulting in a meal that would have sate him for two days.  But he wasn’t healthy and he certainly wasn’t stupid.  He got to his feet and limped out of the area, his leg burning a bit from where the mother’s horn got him. 

Only once he was certain he wasn’t being chased did he stop and assess himself.  The wound was light, barely more than a scratch.  With proper cleaning it should heal despite his current physical state.  It was another hole in his bodysuit though, meaning less protection from the biting insects that liked to pester him during midday.  Nothing he could do about it however. 

He cleaned his wound and his prize with water from the stream, removing dirt and mud from both.  Then he ate, not sparing any part of it save what was actually inedible.  It wasn’t much either way:  during a normal meal a Sangheili could eat five times this in a sitting, if not more.  But it was  enough food to drive away the hunger pangs in his stomach for a little while.  

The taste of it actually vague reminded him of the rats he used to hunt with other children back home at his keep.  As he sat by the stream relaxing, he recalled one such memory, the memory of his first such hunt…. 

\--- 

_Eighteen years ago_

**_Sanghelios, State of Ribal_**  

Zeno twitched with nervous anticipation, using nearly all his will power not to hop back and forth from hoof to hoof with excitement.  Around him, other children waited with him at the edge of the fields, a mix of emotions on their faces.  Some were excited like him, others looked apprehensive at what was to come, and others still had a hungry, almost bloodthirsty look in their eyes.  The latter were usually comprised of older children, ones that had done this duty for a few years now and soon would be moving on to other pursuits.  Apprenticeships and the start of battle training waited many of those children after this season. 

The season of the _kar’zu_.  Rat hunt.  During and immediately after the rains, the little creatures breed and became prolific.  They ruined crops and their burrows threatened to entrap and possibly snap the legs of the _Agyat_ , the large beasts whose hides and meat provide much of the keep’s income.  The little pests were too small and quick for the adults to catch by hand and traps and poisons were too dangerous to the agyat and their calves.  So the children, those old enough to understand instructions yet young enough they were still ineligible for other duties, were tasked with catching and killing the rats.  It was a service to their keep, earning them a small amount of honor.  But it also started essential training.  How to hunt.  To be silent when stalking their prey.  Most importantly, to kill.  To see their enemy as nothing more then an insignificant rodent.  A rodent that must be crushed and ripped to shreds for the betterment of society. 

This would be Zeno’s first participation in the kar’zu and he was eager to start.  Beside him, Lila, his twin sister, appeared more apprehensive.  Zeno was unsure why his sister felt so, since she had helped him to catch the occasional rat that sneaked within the keep walls.  Perhaps it was because the field looked so much bigger than the rooms of the keep.  Maybe he would tease her about it later, for the herd master now approached, causing a wave of silence to envelop the assembled children. 

“So many new faces this season,” the elder Sangheili said, his mandibles splitting into a smile.  “Are you all eager to commence the kar’zu?”  There was a chorus of affirmative cries, Zeno’s among them.  “Very well then, but first I must go over the rules.” There were a few groans, mostly from the older children whom had heard this many times before.  They would listen again, or face expulsion.  

“Now, now, this is for the benefit of those that are joining us for the first time,” the herd master said gently.  “First of all, there will be adults posted around the section of field you will be hunting in.  You are not to go beyond their line.  Those violating this rule intentionally will be removed from the kar’zu. 

“Second, you are free to consume the rats you catch, however any you do not consume you are to bring to an adult for tallying. 

“Third, no fighting over kills.  The purpose of this event is to catch as many rats as you can as a group, not as an individual.  Any fights will be broken up and the fighters will be removed from the hunt for the night, and shame shall be cast upon them. 

“Forth, you are required to place flags at any burrow entrances you find.  Should you run out of flags, request more from an adult.

“Fifth, when the horn sounds, it means the hunt is over for the night.  And do not be discouraged if you fail to catch your quarry the first few times.  Not every hunt is a successful one: that is the way of things.  Do you understand?” 

“Yes, herd master!” Zeno and the other children replied. 

“Excellent.  The Sangheili behind me will hand you your first batch of flags.  Once you have your flags you will be permitted into the hunting area.  Good luck everyone!” 

The moment the herd master stepped aside, there was a massive rush toward the flag bearing Sangheili.  Zeno, along with his sister, having been toward the back, bore witness to a bit of pushing and shoving: a brief scuffle between two children his age broke out.  The herd master did not lie: the fight was broken up and the two responsible were escorted away.  After that, the throng quickly became more behaved and flags were given out much more smoothly.  Within moments, Zeno and Lila had their small bundle of flags and headed out into the field. 

“This is going to be a lot harder then it looks…,” he heard Lila mutter. 

Zeno had to agree.  The grass, though not growing as one massive thick field, was up to their chests, making it difficult to spot any rats.  It made moving quietly rather difficult, as it seemed every step taken, no matter how carefully, made noise.  The cries of the other excited children did not help matters any, making it difficult to gauge how much noise he was making at all.  

Just then, he saw something scurry off out of the corner of his eye.  Reflexively he pounced in that direction, only to catch grass and dirt.  Behind him, he heard Lila pounce at something herself.  “Get something?” he asked, poking his head above the top of the grasses. 

“No,” Lila said with a huff.  “Not even close.” 

“Me too.  I guess we just keep trying.” 

Over the next half hour, both Zeno and Lila pounced at anything resembling a rat.  Sometimes it was just a shadow, other times it was a rat, but it was too quick for the inexperienced children.  Slowly, they started to learn from their failures, Zeno starting to recognize the difference between a rat and a trick of the shadows.  He started to recognize subtle signs of the rats scurrying about in the grass and with it, how to anticipate their movements.  It took a few tries, but eventually he caught his first kar’zu rat and shared the small morsel with this sister. 

And so, the children learned, hunting became easier, though Zeno proved to be the more efficient hunter.  He caught several more rats in the next half hour, while Lila only managed to catch two.  Now stuffed with rat meat, their attention turned to simply catching as many as they could.  Lila ended up being a carrier and when her hands were full she would take the catch to the nearest adult while Zeno continued hunting.  They did find a number of burrows as well, which they flagged as instructed. 

When the night was at its deepest, the horn sounded and much to their disappointment they were shooed out of the field.  As they and the other children exited the field they got a surprise:  standing at the field’s edge, waiting with the herd master, was the kaidon.  He was imposing in size, but his disposition was always kindly and gentle, especially toward children.  The kaidon was currently in civilian attire: usually he was wearing his gold military armor, his kaidon’s cloak draped over his shoulders.  Zeno’s hearts swelled with awe and pride as he gazed upon him. 

“Well little ones, the future of our keep, did you enjoy yourselves tonight?”  The kaidon asked, spreading his arms wide.  He was met with a chorus of affirmatives.  “Very good.  Herd master, what is the total?” 

“We are still counting, kaidon,” the herd master replied.  “But it looks to be an excellent haul.” 

“A good sign.  A very good sign.  Our herds should be quite safe with this group of younglings on the prowl!”  There was a proud cheer.  “While you sleep and digest your hard won meals, remember this:  the kar’zu is not about just about stuffing your bellies.  Or just to rid our land of vermin.  It is to give you a taste of the kill, of blood.  What you learn here, you will carry with you into the future as you continue to protect the keep, both from within and beyond our borders, you will bring honor to us all.” 

\--- 

Zeno opened his eyes and sighed, remembering those words all too clearly.  Words that were repeated at every kar’zu for the benefit of each group of newcomers to the hunt.  How true they were.  As he grew older, he wondered what hunting rats did for honor.  If he had not been a part of the kar’zu, would he have been able to survive as long as he had on this forsaken planet?  While he had undergone some survival training as part of his regiment as part of his military regiment, it paled to what he learned during the kar’zu.  What training he did have in the military was geared toward group survival, with the assumption that rescue or reinforcements would eventually arrive. 

He had no one else with him and he knew of no reinforcements, no rescue, that was coming.  Zeno was alone, on a planet controlled by his enemies.  Left behind to die out of spite for what he was: his communications equipment sabotaged and weapons taken. 

Zeno sighed and shook his head.  He had wasted enough time daydreaming and reflecting about the past.  The small meal he had eaten would not be enough to fuel his needs for the day, let alone ensure his continued survival.  He rose to his feet and traversed deeper into the forest, hoping to find more game to sustain him…


	3. Shame

_A darkness surrounded him, yet this black world was not empty.  Taunting voices, hurtful words echoed throughout.  Assaulting him.  Demeaning him.  Shaming him._

_“Worthless!  Freak!  Weakling!”_

_“Shut up! I am none of those things!”  He shouted back, spinning around in vain to spot the source.  “I cannot help what I am!”_

_“Heathen.  Heretic.  Death is all you deserve.”_

_“I am not a heretic!”_

_“Death.” The voices said in chorus._

_“Death.”_

_There was a light.  The light of an energy sword.  There was an outline of a Sangheili in full armor holding it, though he could not see his face.  Terror filling his mind, he stepped back._

_“The only good vileu is a dead one.”_

_“Death.”_

_The figure drew closer.  He was paralyzed by fear.  The sword was raised, poised to strike._

_“Death.”_

_“No!”  The blade came arcing down, hot plasma hissing with hunger for his blood.  He put up his hands in a feeble attempt to shield himself._

_“Death.”_  

\--- 

Zeno gasped as he woke from the nightmare.  Orange eyes scanned the darkness of the night wildly for signs of a threat before remembering the present.  He was still in the forest, on this godforsaken planet, utterly alone.  There were only his memories to keep him company, many he’d rather soon forget. 

He sat up and leaned against the trunk of a tree, the large roots of which he used a make shift shelter.  With his condition not getting any better, he realized he had no choice but to take certain risks to ensure his continued survival.  Last night, for instance, he took some large leaves, draped them over the top of the roots and pinned them in place with some rocks to create a roof.  He constructed himself a makeshift spear out of a sturdy piece of wood to hunt with after failing to catch any more game with just his bare hands yesterday. 

Two simple things to make survival on his own easier.  Simple things he should have started doing a long time ago, but feared being detected by the enemy  It was pathetic and borderline dishonorable: he felt ashamed of himself.  A real Sangheili in this situation would have used his wits to not only continue to survive but to strike back at the enemy whenever he could.  He came into the military to prove his worth to those that shunned him and now look at him:  wasting away on a human controlled planet, too cowardly to do the honorable thing. 

“This would never have happened to me…I would not be in this situation…If I was not a freak…,” he said with a lonesome sigh.  “Why...Why am I attracted to my own sex?  It has caused me nothing but trouble…” 

The illness that stripped him of his ability to sire children.  That was bad enough, but no, the gods felt they had to send his own uncle to try to kill him.  He survived only due to the kaidon interfering, at the cost of his honor.  “Kou...,” Zeno said softly, a tear running down his cheek.  “You thought so highly of me, did your best to keep my spirits up and to protect me.  Now look at me…I am a failure…A disgrace…I should have killed myself long ago….” 

Yet why did he not take his spear, drive it into his own hearts and end his suffering?  Why does he continue to fight to live no matter how hopeless it seemed for him?  Why does he continue on with this shame so heavy on his hearts? 

Deep in his mind, another memory stirred… 

\--- 

_Four years ago…_

**_Sanghelios, Ribal Keep_**  

Zeno sat in his darkened room, shaking, tears spilling from his eyes.  His body was battered and bruised, his mind not much better.  He felt ashamed.  Too weak to protect his sister.  The illness still weakened him, and he failed because of it.  His uncle, Ley, viciously berated him for revealing the same weakness.  He was a blight, a taint on his line for his foolishness. He was a laughing stock of the whole keep.  In his current state of health he could not even defend himself, let alone his sister.  Those boys pushed him around as if he was a play toy and to his even greater shame it was his own sister that finally stopped them.  His own sister drove them off…When he was trying to protect her from _them_!  He felt he could not face the keep, let alone the world, so he had shut himself away in his room, to hide his shame and his tears from the others.  

Just then the door to his room opened, filling his room with a blinding light.  In the door way he saw an adult, but as he was silhouetted in such a way Zeno could not tell who it was.  Zeno started shaking even more and buried his head in his arms, fearing it was Ley whom had come to scold him further.  A part of him recognized that cowering like this would not help any, but at this point did it really matter?  He was already shamed…. 

“Zeno…,” a calm, gentle voice said.  Zeno recognized the voice of his kaidon immediately.  By the gods, this was even worse!  He was about to be scolded by the kaidon himself! 

No harsh words came however, as the kaidon entered and closed the door part way, leaving it open just enough to allow a little light in.  A short moment later Zeno felt the bed shift as the kaidon sat next to him.  There was a nerve-wracking moment of silence before he said something.  “I heard what happened.” 

Zeno cringed, burying his head deeper within the folds of his arms.  “I am a poor excuse for a Sangheili….,” he whimpered. 

“I do not believe that.” 

He looked up at his kaidon, a perplexed look on his face. “Why not?  I failed miserably.  Made a fool of myself.  Brought shame upon myself, my line, and the keep….” 

“You are young and inexperienced.  Failure is to be expected, even embraced at your age.” 

“I…Do not understand.” 

“The failures you experience now, serve only to strengthen your resolve and will.  Keep you humble.  Prevent arrogance from taking root.  Those that do not experience failure at your age, become cursed by their own egos and pride and so they grow weak.” 

“But, kaidon…I have heard that those that fail in their tasks are often punished by death, or worse…Exile.  Losing their names.” 

“It depends on the severity of the failure, Zeno.  If the failure impacts the line, your honor and your keep negatively, then yes the price for such failure may be high.  And rightfully so!  No one worth their line wants a burden holding them back, or even sending them backwards in progress due to their incompetence.” 

“But I _am_ a burden.” 

“No, Zeno.  You are not yet old enough to be considered as such.  You have time still to prove your worth.  To show us your strength.” 

“I understand, kaidon but…I still failed to protect my sister….” 

“That you tried in the state you were in tells a lot about your character, Zeno.  It is an admirable trait.” 

“Ley did not think so. He called me a fool for doing such a thing. He said I brought the line shame for revealing my weakness….” 

“Who is the greater fool Zeno?”  The kaidon said, turning toward him. “You for attempting to do what is right? Or Ley and the others that stood by and allowed the wrong to continue?” 

Zeno blinked at that and was uncertain how to reply.  Kou sat down next to him again and put a comforting arm around his shoulders.  “Bullying and abuse is wrong, no matter who it is done to. Ley has never understood that.” 

“But what about me?”  Zeno whimpered.  “I feel as though the gods are punishing me….” 

“Punish? Or test?” 

Zeno blinked at him in confusion. 

“The gods test us in many ways, Zeno,” Kou said gently.  “They test our resolve, our will, our strength and our faith.  All go through these tests, these trails.  Trails that help shape who we are.  Who we become is determined by how we face the challenges the gods place in our paths.  These tests are far from easy, so some falter and are crushed.  Others stand firm, and fight until they achieve victory.

“My question to you, Zeno, is…Which one will you be?  The fighter?  Or the coward?” 

Zeno swallowed hard and hung his head.  “I…Do not know, kaidon…It seems so hard….” 

“Life’s challenges are seldom easy, Zeno.  Even fighter’s need support from those they trust and love to get through many of them.  That you tried to protect Lila tells me that in your hearts you want to fight.” 

“But how can I fight back against those that despise and shun me for things I cannot help?  Everyone sees me as a worthless freak….” 

“Have I referred to you as such? Has your sister?” 

Zeno looked up at him, blinking. “N…No kaidon….” 

“Then it is not ‘everyone’ that sees you that way.” 

He turned his head away.  “Forgive me….” 

“Zeno…,” he felt the kaidon’s hand turn his head back to face him.  “Before you can prove your worth to any man, you must prove it to yourself.” 

“I do not see how it is possible…” 

“You will with time and experience.” The kaidon patted his back and then rose to his feet.  “I must go now.  Get some sleep and do not forget what I have told you this night.” 

\--- 

Zeno wiped a tear from his eye.  He remembered now, why he fought on and why he would continue to fight on, despite the odds.  If this was a test by the gods, he would pass it no matter what it took.  If it was a punishment…he would fight on anyway, to defy the gods themselves if he must.  

There was a faint rumbling, coming from above.  Looking up, Zeno caught a glimpse of a lighting flash through the thinner parts of the canopy.  He heard the soft ‘plips’ of rain hitting the leaves of the canopy and dripping onto the forest floor.  Zeno heard another rumble, this time from his own stomach.  Should he go out and try to hunt or stay here under shelter from the storm. He quickly realized that getting himself drenched with rain would not help his condition any, so he stayed put, thankful for the roof he made, even if it did leak a little. 

Besides, it was too dangerous for him to try to hunt at night.  The largest and most dangerous of the forest’s predators hunted at night.  Pulling his spear closer to himself, he lay down and closed his eyes, figuring he might as well try to get more sleep.  His stomach protested his decision but he ignored it.  Food would just have to wait until morning, should the gods be kind and give him success during the next hunt. 

With a relatively dry surface under him and the soft sound of rain all around him, Zeno quickly fell asleep. 

\---

 _A couple of days later…_  

It was days like this he wished his species was omnivorous and not strict carnivores: a wish he had often made during his ‘stay’ here.  While the first day of using his spear resulted in a kill that lasted him a while, he had no such luck yesterday.  His stomach ached terribly.  The hunger was getting worse.  A hunger he could only ebb, never completely sate.  And now, today his prey was proving to be elusive.  

He stopped by the familiar stream and took a few long drinks of cool water.  It wouldn’t be enough to sustain him, but perhaps it would quiet the rumblings and tame the ache for a little while.  A temporary reprieve at most.  As he lifted his head from drinking, he spotted something that made him freeze and his hearts run cold. 

On the other side of the stream were tracks, the shape of which belonged to no native creature.  Humans made these, and though his tracking skills were of a novice at best, he could tell they were fresh, made within the hour.  From the number, there was more then one.  Humans preferred to travel in packs, not unlike the Unggoy or the Brutes.  It was just his luck: one human he could handle even in his weakened state.  Two was pushing it.  This looked like at least three.   Even if he surprised them, at most he could kill one before their fire cut him down.  There was simply no hope. 

Slowly he raised his head and looked around, listening, trying to catch any indication of their barking, primitive language on the breeze.  Nothing.  He had no idea where they were and that made him nervous.  Looking at the tracks again, he noted the humans were traveling upstream.  Whether they continued parallel to the stream or not he couldn’t tell, as the tracks disappeared into the foliage after only a few feet. 

Why were the humans this far into the forest?  This couldn’t be a patrol. He had made a mental note of all the patrols when he observed their nearby base early on during his stay, hoping to find a weakness in their defenses he could exploit.  Failing in that, he had since then made it a point to stay well away from where the humans frequented, if only to increase his own odds of survival.  A hunting party perhaps to fill their own stores of food.  That was the only logical reason he could think of.  Zeno was not about to stick around to find out for certain.  

As he rose and retreated back the way he came, a part of him cried with disappointment.  The part of him that craved battle, the part of him that sought to restore his honor.  Zeno knew better though, as there was no point in going on what was essentially a suicide run:  he saw no honor in that.  If this was going to become a frequent intrusion, he would be better suited to moving deeper into the forest, away from them.  Food would have to wait:  it would be too risky to try to hunt with humans roaming this part of the forest. 

Zeno walked for roughly an hour, heading into the deeper parts of the foliage; or so he believed until the trees became thinner and the undergrowth sparser.  _I must be nearing a clearing,_ he thought, holding his spear in a ready position out of reflex.  The lack of cover made him feel rather exposed and this part of the forest was unnaturally quiet. 

If there was one thing he learned during this time stranded on this planet, it was to trust his instincts.  Right now his instincts were screaming to go back into the thicker areas of the forest.  His eyes scanning the area for any immediate threats.  Zeno took a few steps back, and then turned to walk at a brisk pace back the way he came. 

Feet away from more cover and relative safety, he heard something snap.  Before he could react, he felt his left leg get yanked out from under him and he cried out in shock.  His back hit the moist earth and suddenly he was heaved up into the air itself.  Now he was dangling from a well constructed snare, roughly ten feet from the ground.  How humiliating.  There was no question _who_ made the snare, but the more pressing question was how was he going to get down? 

The problem ended up solving itself.  The noose of the snare was wrapped around one of his shank guards, caught on the part where it flared out a bit over his boot.  The magnetic pads on his bodysuit were not strong enough to support his weight like this and the armor piece slipped off, taking with it his boot.  Zeno hit the ground with a heavy thud, knocking the air out of him. 

 _Get up! Get UP!_   His mind screamed as he coughed and struggled to catch his breath.  He was all too aware that the humans he found the tracks of earlier may have heard his cry of shock.  Perhaps they were the very group responsible for making this trap.  Zeno had to get up and away from this area before they came back to see what they caught.  

Just as he managed to get to his feet, he saw three shapes emerge from the thicker part of the forest, weapons raised and ready.  At first, he was confused; not immediately recognizing them as humans, for their armor was odd.  Various pieces of foliage protruded from under sections of their black armor.  They lacked helmets, instead opting to have black and green war paint on their faces.  Camouflage?  Was this their form of camouflage? 

They started barking at each other in their barbaric tongue.  There was a brief debate between them, Zeno wishing he had power to his armor so this translator would work.  Not that he would find a human to have anything interesting to say, beyond what their intentions was.  It was certainly not to kill him:  they would have shot him before they even came out of cover.  Then one of them started talking to him, its tone soft and reassuring.  Zeno may not be able to understand his language, but his tone was perfectly clear.  They sought to capture him.  

“You will not bribe me into joining you!” he growled.  “I will die serving the Covenant!”  He didn’t care if they understood him or not.  His words were meant for himself, a final pledge of loyalty to the Covenant before his death.  With a roar he charged them, having no recourse but to fight or flee.  To flee meant a cowards death, by getting shot in the back.  Zeno was no coward: he wouldl die with a human in a death grip, with another crushed under his boot. 

The center human fired his weapon, the primitive projectile bouncing harmlessly off his chest armor.  The other two spread out on either side of him, firing their weapons as well.  One stung him in the shoulder while the other got him in the leg.  Strange it didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would, but no matter:  the moment he was within arm’s reach he swung a punch at the center human, only for that human to back pedal just out of reach. 

It became an odd game of cat and mouse.  Zeno kept trying to hit the humans, but whether it was due to his current state of health or these humans were well trained:  they kept avoiding his blows.  Oh to have a plasma rifle, or his Kisan Blade.  He started to roar in frustration. 

Finally, one of the humans slipped on something and Zeno succeeded in landing a blow to his face.  The human stumbled and Zeno pounced upon him, seizing him by the neck.  The others started firing feverishly at him, one round hitting his neck.  He ignored it as he started to squeeze the life of this human, enjoying the thrill of watching the life start to leave his face.  Finally realizing their bullets wouldn’t drop him fast enough; one of the others ran up and slammed the butt end of his weapon on the side of his head.  Though his helmet absorbed much of the blow, it still hurt, causing him to loosen his grip on the human. 

The human kicked out with both feet, connecting with his abdomen.  Zeno staggered back, losing his grip on the man completely.  It was then he became aware of how sluggish he felt.  Shaking his head, he tried to focus, only there seemed to be six humans now.  “I will kill…you all…,”  Zeno hissed as he took a step forward toward them, only to teeter and fall over on his side. 

 _No…,_ he thought as he struggled to get up, but the strength in his limbs rapidly dwindled to nothing.  _Not like this…._ The world around him was now getting hazy: did that blow to the head do more damage then he thought?  Or maybe it was blood loss?  It didn’t matter now: as he far as he knew he was dying and to his great shame he hadn’t managed to inflict a single causality to this group of heathens.  _Kou…forgive me…I failed you…_. 

The world then went black.


	4. Rescue?

_Two years ago…_

**_Sanghelios, Ribal Keep_ **

 

The Kisan Blade, a traditional weapon of keeps whose ancestry heralded from the nomadic tribes of the plains.  Like the more common energy blade, the blades of the Kisan were formed by plasma.  The hilt was of almost identical design as well.  What made it different from the other sword was the orientation of the blades.  The top blade was positioned like a normal energy blade, but the bottom blade went in the opposite direction, paralleling the forearm of the user.  In some models, part of the bottom blade curled upward, affording the hand more protection.  This was the model Zeno preferred. 

The training room was empty; classes were over for the day, which Zeno was grateful for.  It was the only time he could practice using the sword without being disturbed, or seen.  Practicing out of class time was not unheard of; it was encouraged actually, but in Zeno’s case it was the only time he could practice at all.  This was because, after a series of events that were not within his control: Ley, his uncle and trainer, had banned him from further training for…Reasons. 

 _Even the lowest ranking Sangheili is taught how to fight,_ Zeno thought bitterly as he practiced the few sword forms he did manage to learn.  _Does he consider me not a Sangheili at all?_  

It seemed the answer was yes, which burned Zeno’s blood.  _Just because I am sterile…Just because I am attracted to other males…._   He slashed his sword in a vicious arc.  _I do not even_ want _to be attracted to other males.  Does he not understand that?_  

Kou did though.  As kaidon he had the power to ignore Ley’s ban and continue his training.  In fact he continued Zeno’s training _personally_ , a great honor.  Zeno did believe Kou also had the ability to force Ley to rescind his ban, but he never voiced the thought.  He shuddered, thoughts entering his mind of how Ley could cause ‘accidents’. 

Zeno pushed those thoughts out of his mind though, as Ley wasn’t training him, Kou was.  He just wished Kou had more time to train him.  With most people in the keep giving him a wide berth and Lila now in full _Gi’vea_ training, Zeno was very lonely for most of the day.  He passed the endless time, the long days, in solitude or training, with Kou or alone. 

How he relished the time he spent with Kou.  The kaidon treated him fairly, with kindness, and most importantly, like he was a normal person.  It was that which he appreciated the most and a part of him felt sad knowing that eventually he would have to break ties with him and find his own way.  Hopefully not anytime soon…. 

“What are you doing?” a voice demanded suddenly. 

Zeno halted his kata and turned to see Ley standing in the doorway, the elder Sangheili’s eyes blazing with rage.  He knew he would be caught by someone eventually, but had hoped it wouldn’t be _him_.  With a thick swallow, he stood strong and tall.  “What I am doing is obvious,” Zeno replied coolly, his blade still ignited in his hand.  “Practicing the art of combat.” 

“Which I have forbidden you from doing,” Ley growled.  “Put away that sword and leave!” 

He cringed at the words, but did not move, the blade still burning in his hand.  “No.” 

“What did you say?” 

“I said no,” Zeno said, hissing slightly.  “You have no right to bar me from learning to fight.  Every Sangheili is trained in the art of combat, no matter how humble.” 

“You…Consider yourself Sangheili?”  Ley said mockingly. 

“By my blood I am Sangheili.” Zeno held his head up proudly.  “You cannot change that, no matter what you think of me.” 

Ley stalked around him, his gaze boring holes.  Zeno did not cower, nor back down, keeping his head high and proud, his orange eyes focused on his once mentor.  “So you think you are Sangheili,” Ley said, still circling him.  “Yet…You are incapable of adding more Sangheili to the line.  If you are Sangheili, then you are worthless.” 

There was a slight tightening in the muscles of his mandibles, but that was the only outward sign Zeno showed from the sting of Ley’s barb.  “I have not seen any children from _your_ line, Ley. Does that mean you are worthless as well?  And yet…You are still a respected member of the Keep….” 

The elder Sangheili’s face turned a nice shade of purple.  Zeno smiled mentally, proud to have hit a nerve with the bastard.  “You are in no position to judge _me_ and my accomplishments!” Ley said hotly. 

“Why so angry?  This just shows there is more to a Sangheili’s worth than how many children he sires.” 

“Like you know anything about worth, freak.”  

Zeno felt his neck muscles tighten at the insult. “Do you think I _want_ to be this way?”  His hand tightened around the hilt of the sword. 

“It does not matter if you want to be that way or not…You just are.  A worthless freak, taking up precious keep resources.” 

“I am not worthless!  Everyone has a place here.  I just have to find mine!” 

“Oh? Is that what Kou has been telling you?  Honestly, I do not understand why the kaidon has such interest in such a waste of blood.  If he had not interfered, I would have just let you rot away and die from that illness.  No respectable Sangheili wants weak blood in their lineage.” 

“You dare to insult the honor of our kaidon?”  Zeno growled, his eyes narrowing. 

“Insult?  I only speak the truth.  The kaidon has strayed from the Path because of you. He risks bringing shame upon our whole keep!”  There was a flash of light as Ley drew his sword.  Suddenly its own plasma burned.  “Our Lineage has clawed its way up from the ashes of those before us and I will not let a _vileu_ like you bring it down again.” 

Ley lunged at him then, forcing Zeno to lift his sword to attempt to block the strike.  Plasma flashed and sparked when the swords connected, the display distracting Zeno for a moment.  It was long enough for Ley to strike again with a foot, the elder’s blow connecting with Zeno’s abdomen and sending the youth backwards, slightly winded. 

Zeno had no time to catch his breath though, as Ley was already charging him again.  He barely got his sword up in time to block the blow and stumbled back, not wanting to be kicked again.  Instead Ley came at him with a series of strikes.  He struck with the viciousness of a Brute and the speed of a Beam rifle shot.  It was only his youthful agility that kept him from harm, but just barely.  Grazing blows got through his defenses, opening painful cuts.  Blood was starting to flow.  Yet to slow for even a moment, he may has well stand still and let Ley run him through. 

“It appears you took something with you from my lessons,” Ley growled as he started circling him again, the annoyance clear on his face.  “But is how to defend yourself all you learned, boy?” 

Zeno twitched, keeping his blade in a guarded position, but did not raise to the bait.  He wasn’t entirely sure if Ley truly intended to kill him, or was just testing his resolve.  “I do not wish to harm my own blood,” he said softly.  _Even if in my hearts, you do deserve it._  

“Harm me?” Ley laughed. “A novice…A vileu…Like you?  You have not a chance against a master.  And to think that you share my blood. A sickening thought.  So if you will not fight back, so bit it.  It will make my task of killing you that much easier.” 

Zeno’s eyes widened, but Ley was already moving, coming at him again.  He worked his blade the best he knew as he feverishly warded off Ley’s attacks, backing away as he went.  A part of him wanted to run away, but that would be a coward’s choice.  He wanted to prove to Ley that he was no coward, even if it cost him his life. 

Seeking an end to this battle, he started striking back, though Ley could easily deflect his attacks.  Indeed, this choice proved to be his first mistake, for within moments Ley had managed knock his blade clear out of his hand.  Zeno followed the blade in shock, turning around as he did so, its safety mechanism having turned it off before it hit the ground. 

That was his second mistake, a grievous one.  

By turning his back to his opponent, he gave Ley the opening he wanted.  Zeno realized it within seconds.  He knew what was coming, but he knew in his hearts that he could not spin back around fast enough to block or parry the blow, even if he still had a blade in his hands.  Instead, he dived forward, hoping to avoid the bite of Ley’s blade.  He almost succeeded. 

A line of searing pain ignited across his back.  He could smell the scent of his own flesh burning, melting even, what felt like to his very bones.  Zeno screamed in agony, his left hand clutching his right shoulder where strike completed its slash.  _Move.  MOVE!_   His mind screamed, reminding his body that this was no friendly sparring match.  Reminding him that he couldn’t just lay there wallowing in pain. 

Ley’s blade was coming at him again.  He could hear the hot plasma hissing through the air, hungry for more of his blood.  Adrenaline rushing through his veins, he rolled sideways, Ley’s strike missing him by inches.  He managed to get to his feet, but his legs were wobbly at best.  The muscles across his back felt tight and unresponsive, making his arms almost useless.  On top of that the pain was excruciating, clouding his mind and slowing his movements even more. 

His uncle noticed this and started taking his time with his next approach.  Not out of the goodness of his hearts, oh no, he was doing it to torment Zeno, to prolong his suffering before dealing the final blow.  Zeno managed to dodge a couple of halfhearted swings from his uncle before Ley suddenly kicked him, sending him to the floor again.  His back hit, and sending a shock-wave of pain that agonized his body. 

“Now you die…Vileu….”  Ley said as he raised his sword to kill. 

His wounds was not what kept him from trying to evade, but simple fear.  Paralyzing fear.  He realized how much of a coward he was.  Perhaps he truly did deserve this fate.  His dark orange eyes were at first fixated on his uncle’s blade, then his uncle’s murderous gaze.  This was not how he wanted it to end.  He wanted to prove himself to his peers and elders, but now it seemed he would never be allowed that chance.  Zeno closed his eyes, feeling he had no option but to accept his fate, and waited for the end. 

There was a roar of fury that at first he took as his uncle’s victorious cry, yet somehow it seemed different.  Zeno opened his eyes in time to see Ley’s look of shock and horror before someone slammed into him.  He watched Ley hit the ground several feet from his original position, so powerful was the blow.  Then Zeno looked at his rescuer and his eyes widened in both surprise and relief.  Where Ley was a moment ago stood Kou.  His kaidon.   

His mentor. 

His savior. 

“K-kaidon,” Ley whimpered once he got his wits about him. 

“Leave.”  Kou said, one hand on his own sword. 

Ley needed no further convincing.  Zeno’s uncle scrambled to his feet and left the room as fast as his hooves could take him.  Only when Ley was gone did Kou start to relax his guard and turn his attention to Zeno.  “Are you alright?” he asked. 

Zeno lowered and shook his head.  “My back,” he replied quietly. 

“Let me see.” 

Shakily, Zeno got to his feet and showed his wound to the kaidon.  After a moment of silence, Kou said, “Come.” 

Zeno nodded and followed him, figuring he would escort him to the infirmary of the keep.  After a few moments however, Zeno realized he wasn’t taking him to the medics.  Getting nervous, he tried to work out where Kou was taking him.  Fortunately, no one bothered him during the journey, not with the kaidon with him.  At last, Kou stopped before a large door and opened it for him.  What Zeno saw inside made him freeze. 

The room was vast and lavishly decorated.  Though he had never been in here before in his life, he knew what room this had to be:  the High Room, the kaidon’s personal quarters.  Zeno started trembling, knowing he didn’t deserve to be here.  “Kaidon?”  he said, his voice trembling. 

Kou did not respond, instead he put his arm on his shoulder and guided him in.  Only once they were both fully inside and the door closed did the kaidon let go of him.  “Sit,” Kou said, taking a chair and putting it in front of him.  “And hold on to the back.” 

Zeno caught the meaning quickly and sat on the chair backwards, wrapping his arms around the back as instructed.  He saw Kou nod in approval, then remove his cloak to place it on the bed.  The kaidon opened a drawer and rummaged around it, finally revealing a first aid kit.  “Kaidon?”  he asked curiously. 

“If you need to bite the chair, do so.  This may hurt.”  Kou moved around behind him.  

It did indeed hurt, quite a lot.  Zeno bit the hard wood of the chair as Kou worked on removing the burnt, dead skin around his wound.  He did his best not to sob or whimper, especially in the presence of the kaidon, but a few did escape here and there.  Kou didn’t seem to mind this though and in fact occasionally spoke soft words of reassurance. 

This puzzled Zeno greatly.  Not only did the kaidon prevent his death at Ley’s hands, he was personally tending to his wounds.  This sort of behavior from a kaidon was unheard of.  Yes, he was always kind and fair to him, unlike so many others, but this certainly was an extreme. 

The most painful part of the treatment was over and now Kou worked on sealing the open skin with bio glue.  The lessened pain enabled Zeno to ponder over Kou’s puzzling behavior.  Why was he doing this?  No one ever went to this length for someone to his recollection and certainly not to him.  At least, not for a long time. 

He could come up with no answers by the time Kou was finished and coaxed him out of the chair.  Zeno reflexively started heading for the door, but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him. That same hand gently directed him toward the bed: an even greater shock.  “Rest Zeno,” he heard Kou say. 

“But kaidon, this is your bed. I could not possibly sleep here,” Zeno said, turning toward him.  “I am certain my own bed would be sufficient….” 

“I insist…For you own safety,” Kou said.  “If Ley has it in his head that you are to die, no matter how illogical the reason may be, then it is certain he will make an attempt at your life again the moment I am distracted.  At present, you are weak and injured, so until you have recovered and are able to defend yourself adequately, I insist you stay here.” 

Zeno lowered his head:  he couldn’t argue with that.  “Kaidon, why are you doing this for me?  What makes me so special?” 

Kou smiled, though there was a hint of sorrow in his eyes, and put a hand on his shoulder.  “Someday, you may find out.  But for now, it is not for you to know.” He gently pushed him back, forcing him to sit on the bed.  “Rest Zeno.  Regain your strength.  And do not leave this room.” 

“Yes kaidon,” He watched as the kaidon turned and headed for the door.  Then Zeno suddenly remembered something.  “Kaidon!” 

“What is it Zeno?” Kou said, stopping and looking over his shoulder at him. 

“Your cloak.” Zeno stood up and picked up the cloak, then handed it to him. 

“Ah, yes, I nearly forgot,” Kou said with a smile as he accepted it and put it on.  “Thank you.” 

Zeno bowed his head respectfully and watched as Kou left the room, closing the door behind him.  For a few moments he looked around the room, wondering what it would be like to be the kaidon.  _It would never happen,_ he thought, reminding himself on how he was viewed.  

With a deep sigh, he curled up on the expensive sheets of the kaidon’s bed, not feeling worthy to crawl underneath them.  The stress and exhaustion of the day’s events quickly caught up to him and he drifted off into a dreamless sleep. 

\--- 

 _Present day_  

Zeno was surprised when he woke up:  he was expecting to be dead, or slung over a humans vehicle like some trophy.  Instead, he found he was still in the forest and it was now night.  Moving as little as possible, he checked himself over.  He was sans his armor plating, which left only his bodysuit as attire.  There was a soft, but thin blanket or mattress under him and an even thinner blanket over him.  Most puzzling was that he had no injuries, even though he knew he was shot at least three times where his armor didn’t protect him. 

It didn’t make sense.  He should be dead or the human’s prisoner, one or the other, yet it seemed to be neither.  Looking around beyond his immediate surroundings he got his answer, an even more surprising one.  A short distance away, lightly illuminated by small camping lights, he could see the silhouettes of at least two Sangheili. 

Zeno felt joy spring to his hearts.  After all this time, he was rescued!  They must have come upon his captors before they could finish him off or dragged him away.  Speechless with joy, he started to move toward them, only to feel a weight on his right leg.  Puzzled he lifted the blanket to see a plasma cuff, the other end hooked to a small tree.  His hearts sank.  It turned out he was a captive after all. 

By his own people….


	5. Acceptance

Why?  That was the one question that echoed in his mind.  Why was he shackled?  Did they think he was a deserter and a heretic?  Did they think he had lay down with the humans by choice?  Was it just a precaution, considering they didn’t know who he was and his physical state?  He wouldn’t find the answer just thinking to himself, the answer lay with the other Sangheili.  However, he doubted they would give him a straight answer if he asked them directly. 

The other Sangheili hadn’t noticed he was awake yet, so he lay still, pretending to still be unconscious, though with one eye on them.  Of the two Sangheili he could see for certain, he was positive there were more somewhere close by, they seemed to be at odds, going by how they were staring at each other.  The light didn’t provide enough to show distinctive features, but he didn’t need light to hear.  So Zeno listened as the pair talked. 

“Cease with that look, brother.  You know I am right.” 

“I told you,” the other said.  “He swore loyalty to the Covenant, in the face of incredible odds and death.  Why do you question him?  Why is he shackled?” 

So one of them actually witnessed his fight with humans: why did he not join in and aid him?  A fully armed and healthy Sangheili would have made mincemeat of those humans. 

“His claim means nothing,” the first snapped back.  “He probably said it to strike fear into the hearts of those heathens, or he detected you.” 

“Not likely, Justal.  You insult my abilities as a recon?” 

“Ha!  You recon are nothing but glorified stealth troops, hiding from your enemies to strike coward’s blows rather than to face them head on. And you, brother, saw the same report I did, about how there was a heretic hiding on the planet.  The coward.” 

Zeno felt a sickening feeling in his stomach.  So, his field master not only left him here to die, but falsified the reason for his absence in the squad.  He knew what it meant.  Heresy and dishonor,  death for him and his line.  Shame cast upon his keep.  Since he did not have any children, and never will, the only one to suffer death would be him.  His sister would likely be spared, but there was a chance she could be exiled due to her proximity. 

“You forget what a recon does.  We find information and verify.  We discover the truth hidden behind lies and deception.  I read the field master’s report as all did and there is always the chance he was mistaken.” 

“Action, not sulking around enemy lines, is what preserves lives brother.  Action is what brings our people glory, honor and crushes our foes beneath our boots.  This filth is a heretic and should be dealt with accordingly.” 

“And what if you are wrong?”  Zeno’s defender growled.  “What if we find out he is innocent?  Can you bare the shame of having judged a fellow Sangheili wrongly and leave his keep to suffer from your rushed judgment?” 

“He is but a minor.  We have sent greater men to their deaths in the name of honor and victory.  I would go to my death for victory.  His death would hold no consequence on my conscience.” 

“Enough!  Both of you!” a new voice barked.  By the way both of them cringed, the owner of the voice was likely the leader of the group.  “I am more inclined to believe Miko.” 

“What!?  Commander! Are you crazy?”  Justal protested. 

Zeno watched awestruck as a new Sangheili entered the light.  Though the light was dim, he could see that the armor on his individual was pale in color, white even.  There was only one rank he knew of that had that color armor and was referred to as ‘commander’:  the Special Operations Commander.  Who was the current commander?  Ah yes:  Anko ‘Tidumee.  That was all he knew about him though.  However, this did reveal that all the Sangheili before him were special operatives. 

“While you two were bickering,” the commander said sternly.  “I was observing our guest. His reactions to your argument lead me to believe that he is innocent.” Zeno released the breath he just noticed he had been holding.  The commander himself was on his side, but for how long? 

“That does not explain why he is on this planet, commander,” Justal grumbled. 

“Then it is time we ask him.” Anko gestured toward Zeno.  

Zeno immediately sat up, though he felt a bit sluggish still for some reason.  He tried to stand, to give Anko the proper respect, but his legs didn’t want to work.  “Do not try to get up just yet,” Anko said, stepping toward him a few paces.  “Those humans hit you with three doses of some sedative.” 

He nodded in understanding.  “That…Explains why I am not dead…,” he muttered. 

Anko knelt in front of him, putting him at equal level with him.  “Now, what is your name, minor?” 

“Zeno ‘Ribalee, sir.” 

“Well that is one strike against him,” Justal hissed.  “The name matches.” 

“When I want commentary from you, I will ask,” Anko said, looking over his shoulder before turning his attention back to Zeno.  “Who was your squads’ commanding officer?” 

“Yuteri ‘Wamotee, sir.” 

“Strike two,” Justal mumbled. 

“Justal, go relieve Bateli,”  Anko said. 

Zeno watched Justal disappear into the darkness, muttering something to himself.  Miko was snickering, but a glare from Anko silenced him.  After a moment Anko turned his attention back to Zeno yet again.  “Now Zeno, you understand it is not looking good for you right now.” Zeno nodded numbly.  “So I need to know your side of the story.” 

Zeno nodded again and lowered his head. “Sir, with respect, he is my superior.  I have no right to speak of him.” 

“I am also your superior,” the commander said.  “I want to know.” 

Zeno swallowed thickly.  “Yuteri, he did not like me.  The sorties he sent me on were pointless, and the danger extreme.  By the Rings, he left me on this planet to die.  He drugged me.  Stole my weapons.  Sabotaged my armor.  Yet he couldn’t finish me off himself.  No, he had to leave me to _suffer_.” 

Anko nodded.  Zeno could see a hint of sympathy in his eyes.  “I am going to need more details Zeno, if you can.  But first, I trust I can remove this.” The commander reached over and undid the cuff around his ankle.  “Come closer to the light, so Miko can document what you are telling us.” 

With a bit of effort, Zeno got to his feet.  The commander walked by his side for the few feet he walked, reaching the light in less then a moment.  As he sat down, another Sangheili, Bateili, Zeno surmised, approached.  “Something has Justal really riled up,” the newcomer said and then paused when he saw Zeno.  “Oh, so he is awake now.” 

“Yes, and as I suspected, things are not what they appear to be with his story,” Miko said. 

“And I am guessing Justal still believes he is the traitor Yuteri was making him out to be?” 

“But of course, you know him.” 

“Enough,” Anko said, though his tone was much gentler than before.  “Go ahead Zeno.  Tell us what happened to you.” 

Zeno looked at the ground for a moment.  Where to start?  _It was just before our mission that it started to go south._   Yet, that would require tell them about _that_ , the reason Yuteri started trying to get him killed in the first place.  Could he really risk telling this group of Sangheili his secret?  A secret he wished he was never born with? 

He could not think of a way to tell the tale without telling them however.  It was a detail Anko and the others would surely notice was missing:  field masters don’t turn against one of their own for no reason after all.  So with no choice, he started with the incident that started it all and hoped this group didn’t turn against him too…. 

\--- 

 _Roughly a month ago_  

The barracks were abuzz of activity:  Zeno and the other minors, along with a couple of majors, were getting their gear in order.  Within the hour, they were going to be heading down to the surface of a planet.  A planet they have been in orbit around for the last couple of days.  Why they were making landfall he did not know, though the prevailing theory among the squad as that there were holy relics hidden on the surface.  Relics that must be claimed before those heathens, the humans, could defile them. 

For Zeno himself, this was to be his very first mission, having only been on the cruiser, the _Exalted Spirit_ , for the last couple of weeks.  So far he had been well received, welcomed even, which was very different to how he was treated the latter days of his time at his keep.  Here on this ship, with these men, he felt like he was normal.  

The only issue he had been during bathing time: the sight of all those naked men got those nasty unnatural thoughts going through his head.  He had thought he had banished them for good during military training, but it appeared that the only reason he didn’t have them then, was that he was too exhausted from the intense education.  Now he purposely waited until most of the others were finished before going in to shower himself.  Fewer targets, less likelihood he’ll get excited by what he saw.  He just hoped no one noticed his behavior. 

Zeno shook his head and forced himself back to the task at hand.  He checked over his armor’s systems, insured his plasma rifle was in good condition and fully charged.  Everything was in order and looking around he saw that the others were starting to file out to go the hanger bay.  Zeno rose to follow suit.  Halfway there someone called out to him. 

“Zeno.  A word with you,” spoke a zealot as he passed him in the hall. It was Yuteri ‘Wamotee, the field master in charge of the operation.  A strong, if not sometimes frightening, leader and his direct superior. 

“Yes Field Master,”  Zeno said obediently as he followed him into an empty room.  What did Yuteri want with him?  He hoped he wasn’t being told he was not going on the mission. 

“I so do hate this…,”  Yuteri said absently after he closed the door behind him.  This statement made Zeno a bit nervous. 

“Is something wrong, sir?” Zeno asked, keeping himself calm. 

“I saw your training records, Zeno,” Yuteri replied.  “You showed a lot of potential.” 

“Thank you, sir….” 

“Yet…There is one thing I have noticed about you.  Something, disturbing.” 

“Wha…What is that, sir?” 

“I have gotten a couple of complaints from the other troops.  They say they saw you staring at them in the showers in a way that made them uncomfortable.  I myself caught you doing this once or twice.”  

Zeno felt his hearts sink and he had to fight to keep himself from shaking.  He was noticed, despite his efforts to prevent it.  This could only mean bad things… 

“Tell me…Are you one of those freaks?”  Yuteri got right into his face.  “A vileu?” 

Zeno swallowed hard.  He couldn’t lie, that would be dishonorable. “N-not that I want to be…Sir…” 

“This is not about whether you _want_ to be a freak,”  Yuteri snarled, shoving him.  Zeno staggered back a few paces before regaining his balance.  “This is about whether you are one.  And it seems you are…By the gods…Why me?” 

“Please sir,”  Zeno begged, not wanting to have his career ruined before he even truly began.  “I will shower alone…Isolate myself…Please…I do not want to be this way!” 

“I could care less, what you feel about yourself,” Yuteri hissed.  “But we wasted enough time here over this…Get your worthless hide over to the hanger.” 

“I…I am still on the mission?” 

The smile on the field master’s face and the glint in his eye chilled Zeno to the bone.  “Yes, Zeno, you are.” 

\--- 

“I suspected he never intended for me to survive the mission and I was right,” Zeno said with a sigh.  “He kept putting me on point, sending me out alone on watch and patrols  He did everything he could to get me killed in combat, which I suppose was the most honorable thing he _could_ do to me.  I could tell he was getting frustrated with how I kept pulling through despite what he threw me against, granted human resistance was light.  Then came the order to leave the planet.  And you, commander, can imagine what happened next.” 

Zeno looked around at the faces of the Sangheili around him, trying to gauge their reactions.  Anko was unreadable, his expression neutral; Bateli had a look of mild surprise and slight disgust on his face, though at what aspect of his tale he couldn’t tell.  Miko though, looked angry, furious even. 

“He treated you like this for nothing,” Miko muttered. 

“It seems rather extreme if you ask me,” Bateli muttered, his expression now one of disbelief.  “You are certain you did not exaggerate a bit?  After all, if he was that uncomfortable with having you around, he could have requested to have you transferred.” 

“I am afraid I am not,”  Zeno said sadly. 

“But to go as far as to sabotage your equipment?  That is a crime punishable by the Hierarchs themselves.” 

“Sefo?”  Anko said suddenly, looking into the gloom.  It was then Zeno noticed a fifth Sangheili, his armor black as night, poking around with his battered armor.  “Have you found anything to support his story?” 

“There is some elemental related damage, commander,” Sefo said, turning around, Zeno’s chest piece and helmet in his lap.  “But I also found evidence of tampering.  A couple of key components are missing and others are damaged in a way that is not consistent with battle.  Someone with intimate knowledge of how the armor works did this.” 

“Something a minor would not likely have,” Anko said. 

“Wha…What does this mean for me?”  Zeno asked, nervously. 

“As far as I am concerned, your name is cleared,” the commander said.  

Zeno blinked in shocked for a couple of moments.  He looked at each Sangheili in turn, each one nodded in confirmation, and he felt tears of joy well up in his eyes.  It was an overwhelming feeling. 

“What am I to do now?”  Zeno asked once the shock of the news was over. 

“Right now we cannot risk calling in for a transport to take you back to the _Seeker of Truth_ ,”  Anko said. “Despite the severity of these crimes, we cannot abandon our mission.” 

 _‘Seeker of Truth’!  That is the flagship of the Fleet of Particular Justice._   Zeno thought, again feeling a bit overwhelmed. 

“We cannot risk compromising our mission any further,” Bateli said.  “Miko took a great risk to save you, brother.” 

“And I assure you, sir, that the humans will think Zeno killed their hunting team.  Our presence here will remain unknown,” Miko said, looking mildly insulted.  “I did not get to be my age by doing things without thinking them through first.” 

“Either way, Bateli is correct.  We cannot risk discovery, especially with the human base only a day’s walk from here,”  Anko said. “So in the meantime Zeno, until our mission is complete, you will remain with us and provide assistance where you can.” 

“I do not know commander,” Bateli said.  “With the state he is in…He may be more of a hindrance then a help.” 

“There are ways to assist in a mission that do not require physical exertion.  But that will be for the morning.  I suggest everyone get rest while we can, including you Zeno.” 

“Yes, sir…And…Thank you…” 

“Do not thank me just yet, Zeno.  We need to get you off the planet first.” 

“Understood, sir.” 

“Miko, remember, you take the next watch after Justal.” 

“I will be sure to ‘fill him in’ on the situation with Zeno before he returns here, commander,” Miko said, laying back and closing his eyes. 

Zeno went back to the little bed he had woken up on.  It wasn’t much of a bed, but it was far better than hard earth any day.  Behind him he saw one of the others turn down the lights to almost nothing.  As he settled down, he prayed a silent prayer to the Forerunners, thanking them for the blessing they had sent him.  He had been saved.  Not only by his own people, but by Sangheili whom did not look upon him with disgust.  Protected him.  Most importantly, accepted him for who he was. 


	6. Leap of Faith

_Several months ago…_

**_Sanghelios, Ribal Keep_ **

 

“You are certain about this?” 

Zeno paused in his packing and looked up at Kou.  The kaidon was standing just inside his room, a look of concern on his face.  “I am, kaidon,” Zeno said.  “I feel I will not get any further in my development, bring honor and glory to the keep, if I remain here.” 

“There are a lot of unsympathetic people out there, Zeno,” Kou said softly.  “If you leave, I will not be able to protect you.” 

“Forgive me, kaidon, but I cannot afford to allow you to shelter me anymore.  I will not find myself, my purpose or honor that way.  I will not be a coward that hides from the cruelties of the world.” 

The kaidon breathed a heavy sigh.  To Zeno he suddenly looked a lot older.  “You are right.  I would only hold you back, dishonor you even, if I insisted on you staying.  I knew in my hearts this day would come.  I just did not think it would be so soon….” 

Zeno couldn’t hide the smile.  “Time does fly.” 

“Indeed.  It seems like only yesterday you and your sister did not even come up to my knee, running around attacking everything that moved.  You drove the serfs and your mother crazy….” 

The kaidon’s face fell, Zeno immediately knowing what he was thinking about.  His mother, Mea, was killed in a building collapse when he and Lila were only a couple years old.  Her death shook Kou terribly:  he and Mea had been close friends, perhaps even more than that.  It was possible that the kaidon himself sired Zeno and his sister, which would explain a lot of Kou’s behavior toward him.  However, by tradition, Sangheili did not know their fathers, so the possibility was not given any real thought. 

“I am sure she would be proud to see how big and strong I have become.”  Zeno said quietly. 

“Yes, yes she would,” Kou said, a smile returning to his face.  “You will be seeing your sister one last time before you depart of course?” 

“If the head mistress will allow it.” Zeno said, referring to the head Gi’vea of the training house that was located on keep grounds. 

“You are a direct blood relative.  It will be allowed.  Best you get over there now.” 

“Yes, kaidon, I shall do that.” Zeno quickly finished packing and started for the door.  As he passed the kaidon, Kou suddenly reached out and enveloped him in an embrace.  “Ka-kaidon?” 

“Allow me this moment…Please…” Kou whispered, holding him tight. 

Zeno blinked in shock for a few seconds; then relented, returning the embrace.  For that brief moment, they held each other, acknowledging an unspoken bond.  One of friendship.  One of brotherhood. 

\--- 

_Present day_

 

Zeno woke to someone gently shaking him.  Opening his eyes, he saw it was morning and Commander Anko offering a ration packet to him.  _Food!_   He had forgotten that he had virtually nothing to eat yesterday, so he immediately sat up and accepted the packet, nodding his thanks.  With slightly shaky hands, he tore open the packet and ate the nutrient rich mush within with relish.  He’d never thought military rations would taste so good. 

He devoured the packet of its contents within moments.  “When was the last time you ate?”  Anko asked him. 

“The other day sir,” Zeno said.  “Sometimes I acquired enough to last me a day, other times…” 

The SpecOps commander nodded, understanding.  “I would offer you another, but, regretfully, we have limited supplies.” 

“I understand, sir.” after a brief pause he asked, “Commander, if I may, how long have you been on the planet?  I did not know there was anyone else left here.” 

“We were dropped off here a couple days ago, a fair distance from here to cover our insertion.  We have been hiking toward our target since then.” 

“I see, that would explain why I never heard a Spirit coming in.  I have been keeping my ears open for the sound of one, though I had long given up hope of hearing one.” 

“You will when our mission is over, Zeno, provided things go well.” 

“What is your mission, sir?  You said I am to assist you in it, but….” 

Anko got his meaning, nodding in acknowledgment.  “Remember the human base we mentioned last night?”  Zeno nodded.  “That is our destination.  According to our sources, the humans have taken a holy relic within its walls and we have been commanded to retrieve it before our main force come to cleanse this planet of the human contaminant.” 

“And a large scale assault on the base would risk damaging or destroying the relic,” Zeno said, catching on quickly. 

“Correct.  Seeing you have been here a while, Zeno, would you happen to have any information on the base?  Armament, troop numbers….” 

“I did observe the base for a time, commander, back when I was in better shape.  However, I do not know how accurate my knowledge may be now.” 

“It would be more then what we know right now.  Miko will not be reporting in for some time.” 

Zeno looked and noticed for the first time they were one Sangheili short.  “Where is he?” 

“I sent him on ahead to gather what information he could on the base before we reach it.” The commander then gestured for him to come to the center of the camp.  “Sefo, the map please.” 

Sefo nodded and took out a small device, placing it on a rock before activating it.  The air immediately above it was filled with a top view holographic image of the human base.  “You honestly think he will know something about that place?”  Justal grumbled.  “He was likely more concerned about keeping his hide alive than checking out the base.” 

Zeno snorted at Justal, but otherwise remained silent as he studied the hologram, attempting to match up this map with the one in his head.  “This perimeter wall is about twelve feet high,” he started once he got his bearings, pointing at the wall with a finger. “With a walkway on top of it where patrols walk.  I have seen humans walk two abreast on this walkway with ease, so it is likely five feet across.  This building…,” he pointed at one along the east wall, “Appears to be an infirmary, as I observed some of their wounded entering it.  This one…,” Zeno pointed at a building along the west wall, “Seems to be either their barracks, mess hall, or perhaps both due to the amount of foot traffic I witnessed.

“Then there is this structure,” Zeno indicated the building along the north wall that was close to the secondary gate.  “I noticed they have guards posted outside the entrance to it, which suggests a command center of some sort.  There is also a small vehicle bay and their armory.” He pointed both structures out respectively. 

“You must have gotten fairly close to the base to work some of this out,”  Sefo said. 

“I was able to get a view from above a couple of times.  And I am a Ribal: my ancestors had to learn to make out details from a good distance away.” 

“A good trait to have,” Anko said.  “What about the humans themselves?  Do they perform patrols?  What are they armed with?” 

“There are regular patrols along the wall path both on top and outside around the perimeter. The direction they patrol in is randomized, but the patrols are replaced at regular intervals,” Zeno explained.  “Two on the top of the wall, two men each. The perimeter patrol consists of only one group, but three men. There are two groups that patrols the surrounding area, three men each, at regular intervals, but unlike the base patrols, their direction of travel is consistent.

“For the main gate there are two guards that I know of, stationed on either side of the gate. For the other there is only one on the outside, but I believe that one has a secondary just inside. In regards to the patrols inside the base itself, there are not any that I noticed. It seems they rely on their perimeter guards to detect trouble before it enters the base.

“As for armament, the wall patrols I noticed carried either the equivalent of our beam rifles or occasionally that one weapon that shoots explosive projectiles.” 

“Rocket launcher,” Justal grumbled. 

“Thank you. The other patrols carried their usual infantry weapons, though I do occasionally see one of them carry a rocket launcher. As for vehicles, the heaviest I have seen were the…’Warthogs’ was it?  The type with the mounted weapon.” 

“How many humans do you think are at this base?”  Anko asked. 

Zeno sighed and thought a moment.  “From the size of the base and from my observations…I would say anywhere between one to three hundred personnel.  Keep in mind this all from a couple of weeks ago at the least….” 

“Wonderful.  So we are going on not just old information, but _ancient_ information,”  Justal sneered. 

“Miko will verify this information; I am sending him a recording of what Zeno just told us,”  Sefo said. 

“Good work, Sefo,” Anko said.  “In the meantime, let us pack up and move closer to the target.  Keep your eyes sharp and ears open, we are heading closer to an enemy stronghold.  The longer it takes for them to detect us the more likely our mission will succeed.” 

There were nods of acknowledgment and everyone immediately got working.  Zeno started to help out, but Anko stopped him.  “No, Zeno.  I would rather you save your energy for the hike.”  

“Understood commander.” 

Zeno sat down on a nearby log and watched the rest of the group pack up camp.  Though he understood Anko’s intentions, he felt like a dead weight just sitting here doing nothing.  After a moment, Sefo approached him, his armor in his arms.  “Here,” he said, handing the pieces back to him.  “I was able to restore the locator beacon and radar systems, but nothing else I am afraid.” 

“Thank you,” Zeno said, grateful as he started snapping the armor pieces back on.  “It will at least aid me in rejoining you should I get separated from the group.” 

“Yeah, sure,” Justal hissed.  “Just do not expect us to slow down our pace for your sake.” 

“Do not mind him,” Sefo said.  “He just takes longer to gain trust with than some.” 

Zeno simply nodded in acknowledgment, concentrating on putting the rest of his armor on.  With it on, he didn’t feel so naked, though the knowledge that most of the armor functions were non-functional was always in the back of his mind.  He knew that, with no shields or weapons and being in poor physical condition, should a human patrol intercept the group and a fight ensue, he would most likely be the first to fall.  Zeno found that the thought did not bother him, for at least he would die among his own kind: not alone and half mad from isolation. 

Once the rest of the group was done packing, they set out, Zeno filing in with them.  The slight irony was not lost on him.  He had spent the last couple weeks doing everything he could to avoid humans: now he was with a group that was purposely heading toward them.  Again, it no longer bothered him.  He was in a squad again, even if this one was only temporary.  A squad that was capable of doing a lot more damage to the human base then he would have done alone. 

The only problem he had was that he was pretty much useless.  He passed on what information he had and it was to Anko’s credit that he didn’t just blow him off afterward.  Surely, he could think of a way to help the squad further.  So far though, nothing was coming to him and it gnawed at his mind throughout the hike.  The hike itself kept to a decent pace: not too fast and yet not so slow where it would take too long to reach their destination, so Zeno was able to keep up easily.  Whether Anko choose this pace for his sake or otherwise there was no way of knowing. 

They kept going for several hours, stopping for brief rests every couple of hours.  Towards the later part of the day Zeno started recognizing certain features of the landscape, features he roamed along not so long ago.  He suddenly remembered something important and knew he had to act before they went much further.  “Commander.”  He called out, quietly but loud enough to be heard. 

“Yes Zeno?”  Anko replied, stopping and looking back at him. 

“I would advise not to go much further.  One of the patrols I mentioned earlier goes through the area ahead, if I remember correctly.” 

“Oh, so as far as we know, we could be on a patrol path right now.  Wonderful…”  Justal grumbled. 

“Your council is noted, Zeno,” Anko said, ignoring Justal’s remark.  “We will find a sheltered place to set up camp now then.” 

“There is a small ditch not far from here.  One that I used as shelter a few times,” Zeno said.  “That may be sufficient for our needs.” 

“Very well, lead the way.” 

Zeno felt a rush of pride in his chest as he quickly got his bearings and headed off, the rest of the group following.  He had once again aided them, proving his usefulness.  His head high, he picked his way carefully through the foliage, hoping he could actually rediscover the ditch he spoke of.  At one point, he did get a little turned around, but quickly got his bearings again before Justal could make any snide comments.  As the sky started to darken, he found the ditch and stood aside to let Anko inspect it. 

He could feel his hearts pounding in his chest with nervous tension as Anko inspected the site.  It was good enough for him alone, but was it good enough for a squad of six?  After a moment, Anko turned back toward them and nodded:  Zeno released the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.  “No lights.” The commander said as they went about setting up camp.  “Use the night vision in your helmets.” 

 _Night vision?_   Zeno blinked in mild confusion.  His helmet didn’t have that mode as far as he knew. If it did, it was likely among the functions that were now inoperative.  With the canopy above blocking out most of the star and moonlight, it could be pitch black at night.  This meant Zeno should find his spot to sleep _now_ before it got any darker, as he certainly didn’t want to be tripping over the others like a blind fool. 

Looking around, he spied the spot he slept at before when he used this place previously: a small nook framed by tree roots.  He grabbed a sleeping pack and headed for the spot, earning a scowl from Justal, whom he just ignored.  As he set up his bed, he overheard Anko talking on the comm: it sounded like he was speaking to Miko.  “Miko will be rejoining us soon,”  Anko announced. “When he arrives, we will determine our next step based on his and Zeno’s information.” 

“I do not know who to bet on being wrong, the minor, or the stealth wannabe,”  Justal said, elbowing Bateli, whom just rolled his eyes. 

“Justal, you are on first watch.” 

Justal blinked, opened his mouth to protest, but then thought better of it and just got up and left.  “One of these days he is going to learn not to bad mouth people,”  Bateli said with a sigh. 

“Doubtful, considering how he is,”  Sefo muttered. 

“Unless you two would like to join him….,” Anko said, letting the statement hang. 

“Shutting up now sir!”  They said in unison. 

Anko chuckled and Zeno watched as he then took a seat beside him.  “You have a good eye, Zeno.” 

“Sir?”  Zeno said, confused. 

“This place.  It is well concealed and enemy access is limited.  Plus, Miko has confirmed much of what you have told us earlier.” 

Zeno felt pride swelling up in his chest again.  “Thank you, sir.” 

“To be frank, your talents of observation were being wasted in a normal squad.” 

“Sir?” 

“You deserve a position more suited to your skills.” 

“My skills as a warrior are considered more important by the majority though.” 

Anko snorted quietly.  “The skills of a warrior are constantly changing and developing.  Any one can become a warrior with enough work and will.  Raw natural talent in other fields is rare and should be treasured, cultured and nurtured.” 

Zeno felt himself blushing a bit.  “What would be more suitable for me then?” 

“We will figure that out later.  First, we must complete our mission and get you off this planet.” 

“Yes, I would like to know what a real bed feels like again…,”  Zeno muttered, mostly to himself. 

Beside him, Anko chuckled and patted him on the back.  “You will, soon enough.” 

Zeno watched the commander get up start setting up his own bed close by.  He found himself wishing there was some way he could join the SpecOps and be under Anko.  The commander had quickly proven himself a fair and reasonable leader, someone Zeno could admire and look up to.  He reminded him of Kou a bit actually, and he felt his hearts ache at the thought:  he missed his kaidon, and his sister, terribly.  Is it normal for a Sangheili to become so attached to relatives like this? 

 _I do not have a chance in hell to get into the SpecOps._   He didn’t have the time in service, nor the minimum required rank to even be considered.  The chances were, once he was off this planet and fully recovered, he’d be put in another normal squad.  With how his luck has been, his next Field Master would likely be another Yuteri in some shape or form.  _Best to enjoy being in this squad while I can._  

Miko arrived sometime after the sun was fully set and he immediately started to give his report.  His report largely echoed what Zeno already told them, though there were a few differences.  “Patrols seemed to have been relaxed a bit,” Miko said.  “However due to the number of personnel in the base, a direct assault with the few we have here, not to mention the ordnance they have, would be suicidal.” 

“So are best opinion is to sneak in, grab the relic, right our way back out again before the whole base is alerted,”  Anko mused.  “But for that to work, it would help if we knew which building the relic was being kept.” 

“Which would logically be either in this command center or one of the unidentified buildings,”  Miko said, pointing at the respective locations on the hologram of the base layout.  “If I could get more time to observe the base, perhaps at a different angle, I may be able to determine what those two buildings are.” 

“We cannot risk any more time then necessary, Miko.  Zeno got away with watching them for as long as he did because he was alone.” 

“With a whole squad nearly on their doorstep, they would no doubt spot some sign of our presence soon,”  Bateli said. 

“Yes, which means we will need to strike soon.  How, is the question.” 

“As I said before, a direct assault with what we have is suicide,”  Miko said.  “Sneaking in may be a better option.” 

“But we cannot roam around cloaked aimlessly,”  Anko reminded him.  “Even with the likely relic locations lowered, the chances of a human noticing us increases the longer we take.” 

“Which goes back to needing more information which we do not have time to get….” 

“Wait,” Zeno said.  “I think one of the buildings could be a research facility.” 

All eyes were on him now, making him nervous.  “What lead you to that conclusion?” Sefo asked. 

“I saw humans carrying pieces of our equipment back to the base a couple of times, though I did not pay attention to which building they took them too.” 

“Why would humans gather up our equipment?”  Anko muttered. 

“Likely to defile our blessings from the gods like the heretics they are,”  Sefo growled. 

“There is also me,” Zeno added.  “They were trying to capture me alive.” 

“A good point,” Miko said.  “Any intel you might have had on our movements would be useless by now.  Not that you would have told them anything of course.” 

“Of course.” 

“So they probably wanted him to figure out how to kill us better,”  Bateli said. 

“If there is indeed a research facility there, that would be the most likely place the relic would be kept,”  Anko said.  “We still need to know _which_ building though.” 

Zeno swallowed thickly.  He had an idea, but he wasn’t sure it was a good one.  It was a risky idea, one that may cost him what honor he has left, if not his life.  Yet he found himself wanting to do to it.  He would be near useless in combat as he was now, but he still wanted to help the squad complete their mission.  After taking a deep breath, he took the leap of faith. 

“I have an idea,” he said.  “Let them capture me.”


	7. Journey into Hell

Four pairs of Sangheili eyes blinked at him in shock. 

“Are you crazy?”  Bateli said.  “Have you no scrap of honor or decency?  No Sangheili in their right mind would allow that.” 

“My locator works now,” Zeno said.  “So, let them capture me.  If we are correct that they want to ‘study’ me, they will take me to the research facility and thus, the relic.  You will have the right building to go to.  Just sneak in, grab the relic and sneak back out again, or fight your way out if you prefer.” 

“Dear Gods…He is serious….” 

“Zeno, this is incredibly risky,” Anko said, concern on his face  “Who knows what they intend to do to you.  Can you really afford that kind of hit on your honor?” 

“If what you told me about the lies Yuteri said about me are true, commander, I have no honor as is,”  Zeno reminded him. 

“Lies we intend to reveal once the mission is done.  Lies that will not be as easily wiped clean if you died attempting this.  Think of your bloodline.” 

“What bloodline?  _My_ line was ended before I could even get it started.” 

“What?  How?” 

“Forgive me, but the reason is not relevant to this discussion, commander.” 

“Very well.  But, I still do not like this idea, Zeno,”  Anko said. 

“The loss of minor like me would not be nearly as bad as you losing one or more of this squad, commander.  Squad members that are all veterans:  I have scarcely a drop of blood on my blade compared to them.” 

He felt a sudden blow to his face, knocking him senseless.  Before he could focus again he felt himself get partly lifted up by the chest armor.  “Stop talking about yourself as if you were worthless!”  He heard Miko say, right in front of him. 

“That is what many prominent people in my life told me:  that I am worthless,” Zeno said calmly, looking Miko in the eye.  “I want to prove them wrong.  All of them.” 

“By throwing your life away?” 

“The holy relic is more important than my life.” 

Miko turned his head away, stung by the truthfulness of his last statement.  Looking around, Zeno saw that the truth of it hit all of them, Anko included.  With a heavy sigh, Miko finally put him down and sat down again.  “You are absolutely sure you want to go through with this?”  Anko said after a few moments of silence.  Zeno nodded, though he was terrified of actually going through with it.  “Very well.”  There was a hint of sorrow in the commander’s voice.  “You do know that there is no guarantee that we will be able to rescue you if things go bad.” 

“I understand, sir.  I am willing to make that sacrifice.” 

The next couple of hours were spent planning on how to get Zeno captured without getting him killed, or compromising the mission, in the process.  It was decided that having him simply laying prone and near lifeless in the path of a patrol would be simplest.  Miko was to observe the capture and watch where they would take him in the base.  After that, the discussion turned to on how to infiltrate the base once he was in, determining that night was the best time. 

They ate after that, Zeno refusing to eat this time around.  He cited that if he had any hint of food in his system they may get suspicious.  Zeno hated going to bed hungry, but he knew that if he was to play the part of ‘nearly dead Sangheili’ he had to be as realistic as possible.  He did his best to ignore the hunger pangs. 

Sleep was elusive though.  This was in part due to anxiety of what he was going to do.  The other was that Miko started talking to him.  At first, he thought he was going to try to talk him out of it, but no, it seemed he just wanted small talk.  He asked if his keep had any special traditions, so Zeno told him about the kar’zu hunts.  

It brought back a bit of nostalgia for him, along with a couple of painful memories.  Fortunately, Miko didn’t want to know too much about his background.  Well, more like he didn’t get a chance to, as his turn for watch came up.  He finally left Zeno in peace to try to get _some_ sleep. 

\-- 

The next morning Zeno was dead tired, as he got no sleep whatsoever.  The whole night he tossed and turned, his mind filled with thoughts and images of his past.  The horrors the humans may do to him during the, hopefully brief, time they had him imprisoned.  Looking up at the rest of the group, he could see Justal being filled in on what he missed during the meeting last night.  He didn’t look happy. 

“Commander, are you crazy?”  Justal said after Anko finished telling him the plan.  “He could warn the humans of our presence!” 

“You still think he is a heretic?”  Miko said with a faint snarl.  “If he was in league with humans he would not be in the physical shape he is in.” 

“I would feel a lot more comfortable if one of us did this instead.” 

“The humans already know what I look like,” Zeno said.  “To have them suddenly come across a fit, healthy looking, dark armored Sangheili would tip them off more then me.” 

“Switch out armor then.” 

“My armor would not fit any of you.  It would probably just fall back off Miko, for instance.” 

“No commenting on my lack of stature,”  Miko grumbled, folding his arms.  “Though he does have a point here: he is easily the tallest of all of us.  Standing next to him makes me feel like a runt.” 

“You _are_ a runt Miko,”  Bateli said with a grin. 

“I am not!  I am only a couple inches shorter then the average….” 

“And the rest of us are around average height.  Zeno must in the nine foot range…,”  Sefo said. 

“Just under,” Zeno corrected.  He looked at Justal.  “You do not have any more arguments I hope?” 

Said Sangheili huffed and folded his arms.  “If you compromise our mission, I am going to come kill you myself.” 

“That will not happen, I assure you.” 

They spent the day waiting for most of the day to pass, Anko citing that he wanted Zeno in the human’s hands for as little time as possible:  Zeno shared the sentiment.  Miko went out to find and observe the forest patrol in the meantime, while Sefo tried vainly to fix more of the functions in Zeno’s armor.  “Looks like you will be without a translator, Zeno,” he said regretfully later on.  “I would have rather you had that so you would have some warning on what they plan to do to you.” 

“As do I, but I suppose it was not meant to be,”  Zeno sighed, accepting his armor back.  He winced when his stomach growled painfully, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten for nearly a day now.  A part of him badly wanted to accept more rations, to give him the strength he would no doubt need to survive whatever the humans put him through.  He resisted those temptations for the sake of the mission. 

Zeno sat down and tried to concentrate on things other than food.  It was kind of weird actually:  before, when food had to be caught with his own two hands it was more easier to ignore the hunger pangs.  Yet now that he knew there was food readily available, the pain felt much worse.  “Are you sure you do not want something to eat?”  Anko asked him.  “You will no doubt need the strength.” 

“I am certain, commander,” Zeno replied.  Leaning his head back, he added with a sigh,  “I just wish I could just get it over with….” 

“No matter what happens, Zeno, I will tell of your bravery and sacrifice to my superiors.” 

Zeno smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest knowing that the commander thought so highly of him.  “Thank you…, commander.” 

The camp was largely silent from then on, everyone’s mind being on what was coming ahead. When the sun was getting close to the horizon, Miko finally returned.  “The patrols are at regular intervals,” he said.  “Another will be coming around within the hour.” 

“Then it is time for me to get into position,”  Zeno said getting to his feet, only to nearly fall back down again.  “I am fine.” 

Anko looked doubtful, but nodded.  “Miko, lead him to the patrol path.  Remember, stay out of sight.” 

“Yes, commander,”  Miko said, though Zeno could hear the worry in his voice. 

As they walked, Zeno’s mind was on his physical condition more than the thought he was about to let himself be captured.  It seemed he was weakening quicker now, though he was at a loss as to why.  Was it because his body had finally passed its limit?  Maybe the few nutrient-rich rations he _did_ eat were too rich for his weakened body?  Perhaps it was the anxiety and stress of this task he was about to put him through that put his body over the edge.  Either way, Zeno was starting to doubt he would make it through this alive.  _So be it,_ he thought solemnly.  _I die serving the Covenant._  

“We are here,”  Miko said, breaking him out of his thoughts.  “You are still sure you want to do this?”  Zeno nodded, feeling his throat get very dry out of simple fear.  “You are terrified….” 

“Who would not, considering what I am about to do?  I will master it…,”  Zeno said, aware that his voice was trembling.  He stepped forward and then fell purposely fell down, sprawling out on the patrol path.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Miko jump and start for him before checking himself. 

“By the rings, warn me next time,”  Miko mumbled.  “I thought you had really collapsed.” 

Zeno couldn’t help but smirk a bit.  “Fooled you.” 

“That you did.  I am going to get you back for that too.  Someday.”  The figure of Miko then disappeared as the SpecOps activated his cloak.  “Good luck....” 

 _I will need it,_   Zeno thought as he heard Miko retreat a little deeper into the forest.  It was comforting that he didn’t have to do this part completely alone.  They couldn’t talk to each other now, but at least he knew Miko was close by, ready to jump in should the humans decide to finish him off instead.  

The wait though, was excruciating.  It was taking forever for the human patrol to get here and he was starting to get uncomfortable.  He dare not move though, not wanting to risk ruining the illusion that he was near death.  At one point, he wondered if he was going to die simply from the waiting. 

At last, he heard the patrol approaching and he felt the pace of his hearts quicken.  _Calm down.  You are supposed to be half dead remember?_   He reminded himself.  Having his hearts race like this, should they bother to try to feel for a pulse, would ruin everything.  Then again, would a human know what a normal Sangheili heart rate is in the first place? 

With one eye half cracked open, he watched the group appear close by, heading straight for him.  His hearts sank a little:  there were five of them.  Miko likely wouldn’t be able to stop them all before one of them put a round though his skull should they decide to.  He forced that thought out of his head, concentrating on keeping himself still instead. 

The humans were obviously not expecting to find anything, with how they were paying more attention to talking to each other than their surroundings.  Zeno thought they were going to step right over him, maybe even trip on him, without noticing him at all when one of them finally spotted him and stopped the group.  It was somewhat comical, the look on their faces, when they saw him:  mouths agape and eyes wide.  A couple of them raised their weapons at him, but lowered them again when they realized he wasn’t responding to their presence. 

They barked at each other in their barbaric language, their tone sounding curious and slightly surprised.  One came over and kicked him in the side:  Zeno had to use all his willpower to utter only a weak moan and not the yelp of pain he really wanted to scream.  The one that kicked him said something to his fellows and a discussion ensued.  A couple of them had hostile tones in their voices, suggesting they just wanted to finish him off.  The others spoke in curious tones, shaking their heads at the hostile ones: they did not want to kill him it seemed, at least not right away. 

Zeno really wished he could understand what they were saying, hating having to guess at their intent.  One of them was now talking into a device, no doubt talking to a superior back at the base, then nodded and made a gesture to the others, barking a command.  As the rest of the humans approached, Zeno felt himself tense and he had to force himself to relax again.  By the Gods, it was hard to _not_ to resist as they pulled his arms behind his back and tied his hands together with some type of rope.  It was a rather primitive method of restraining someone in his opinion: one that he could probably break easily even in his physical state.  Not to mention it was uncomfortable. 

The humans started conversing again, a puzzled tone in their voices.  Finally, two of them grabbed him by the arms and positioned him into a sitting position.  Another two then grabbed him by the legs and together the four of them lifted and started to carry him.  Zeno had to allow himself a small smile:  from the strain on their faces and voices, they were having difficulty carrying him.  Weak, pathetic creatures. It was taking at least four of them to lift a single Sangheili.  An underweight one at that! 

Still, their method of transport was a bit undignified.  They didn’t honestly expect to carry him like this all the way to their base did they?  It turned out they weren’t going to torture themselves like that.  Even before they cleared the forest, Zeno started hearing the rumbling engine of one of their vehicles.  Zeno couldn’t help but smell it shortly after that.   _Nasty, smoke billowing, grease infested machine,_ he thought. 

It took all five of the patrol group, plus one of the vehicles passengers, to get him into the back of the vehicle: this was obviously a version that lacks the mounted weapon.  They secured him with a bit more rope and then drove off.  _Dear Gods, how can the humans stand riding in this thing?_   He thought as he was getting knocked and bumped all over the place, resulting in him grunting in pain more then once.  Granted, he wasn’t exactly _sitting_ in this thing as the humans were, which could account for some of the discomfort.  By the time they got to the base he was quite sore. 

When they first arrived, he became something of a spectacle: a crowd of humans approaching to take a look at him.  Most were from their warrior caste, but there were a couple not dressed in their warrior clothing.  Some just stared.  Others yelled taunts.  A couple actually hit him before a group of warriors shooed the crowd away and took him out of the vehicle. 

A group of four humans again carried him, but since he was facing backwards, he couldn’t tell easily where they were taking him.  What became clear quickly was when they took him into a building and stepped into a small room, the door closing behind them.  After a moment, he felt the sensation of going down:  the room being a lift of some sort.   _So there is an underground part of this base,_ he thought, now getting worried.  Would his locator beacon reach the squad through all the rock, dirt and metal?  Just how deep and extensive was this part of the base? 

The ride down didn’t take long: not even a minute.  Upon exiting, Zeno did his best to take note of how many turns and in which direction they took, including any significant landmarks, in case he had to make a break for it on his own.  Finally, they entered a brightly lit room and unceremoniously dropped him on the floor.  His eyes struggled to adjust to the light in the room, feeling the cold floor underneath him.  It smelled sterile in this room.  Taking a risk, he moved his head a little to get a better scope of the room. 

The room was large with a line of counters and cabinets along the door side.  In the middle was a large steel table, a table equipped with restraints.  On the far wall, he spied larger cabinets and another door, which was partly open: he thought he could see a hint of Covenant equipment inside.  The opposite side wall he couldn’t see clearly without moving his head by a large amount, but what he could see suggested containment cells.  The wall behind him he couldn’t see at all. 

Someone occupied the room other than himself and the humans that carried him here:  a female of their species.  She wore a white garment, had black hair, which was tied back and wore some odd kind of shoe that had a thin spike like protrusion coming from the heel.  His human ‘escort’ called to her and the woman turned and approached him, speaking in that barbaric tongue of theirs. 

She reached out to touch his face and by reflex Zeno moved his head away, emitting a faint growl.  The human made a barking type noise, was it laughter?  He watched as she retreated to the one of the counters, picked something up and walked back to him.  It looked like some kind of gun and Zeno didn’t like the looks of it.  He started to move, not caring any more about his façade: he did his part, now it was time to get out of here if he could. 

Zeno felt the weight of four humans pile on top of him, restraining him.  He hissed and tried to snap at one of them, only for one to grab him by the head and pull it back, exposing his neck.  Before he could break himself free of that grip, the female human pressed the device against his neck and he felt a brief stab of pain.  Zeno roared and thrashed, managing to knock one of the humans off and strained at his hand restraints.  If he could break that bond, this struggle would become a lot easier for him. 

Then his strength started to wane.  His limbs became slower to respond.  Zeno realized he had felt this before, not so long ago.  _Sedative…,_ he thought in horror, realizing his mistake to let himself get this far.  Unlike the sedative he was hit with before though, this one didn’t put him to sleep, only paralyzed his body.  Within moments, he was completely limp, yet aware of everything the humans were doing around him within sight and hearing range.  Only then did they cut the bonds on his hands, though he could do nothing with them. 

The female human said something and the other humans started tugging at his armor.  Zeno could do nothing as they removed his armor pieces, and then struggled with peeling the bodysuit off.  Now completely nude, they hefted him up onto the table and strapped him down.  He couldn’t even yelp in shock from the cold of the table. 

Panic raced through his mind.  Zeno tried futilely to move but to no avail.  He was completely at the human’s mercy.  There was nothing he could do.  This was the most humiliating and terrifying thing Zeno had ever experienced. 

It was only going to get worse….


	8. Relics and Honor

He knew showing fear was a weakness.  For a Sangheili to show fear to their enemies was a shameful thing.  Yet, no matter how hard he tried he could not push the fear away.  Could not hide the fear that was so evident in his eyes.  Worse, he was so frightened that he was on the verge of tears. 

The human female was talking again, to one of the warriors.  The other human responded in a surprised tone, only for the female to snap back at him.  The warrior raised his hands in defeat and quickly left.  The female then stepped out of his line of vision, but she said something else.  The other three warriors nodded and left, leaving him alone with her. 

She started speaking again, in a more soothing tone.  Did she honestly think she could sway him by talking gently to him?  Now she was in his line of sight again, stepping up next to him.  There was something in her hand, but a different device than she used to inject him with the sedative before.  Instead, it was cylindrical object with a thin needle at one end.  His eyes widened; what was she going to inject him with now?  

It turned out she was going to inject, but withdraw.  His mind filled with rage as she withdrew a bit of his blood from his arm.  Blasphemy!  Heathen!  That was his honor she was removing!  He tried to roar with rage, but all he managed was a loud huff due to his still paralyzed state.  She seemed amused by that, by the smirk on her face.  The human spoke some words in a mocking sort of tone, stepping out of his sight again. 

She came back within a moment and started examining his body.  He was poked, pinched, prodded in many places:  the whole process only further humiliating and enraging him.  The heathen even stuck her hand between his mandibles and pulled them apart.  Oh how he wished his body would listen to him right now so he could bite her insolent hand off!  

Then she activated a device that was hanging overhead.  It must have been a scanner of some type, as it passed up and down the length of his body a few times before coming to a stop.  The whole time the human was writing notes on a hand-held device.  Then she spent some time studying a view screen:  from what parts of it he could see it was a diagram of his own internal organs.  She seemed fascinated by what she saw, though that was of little comfort to Zeno. 

 _Studying me to figure out how to kill us easier,_ Zeno mused, managing a growl.  He was slowly being able to do things again, but much too slow for his comfort.  Much damage had been done to his pride and dignity already. 

The warrior she sent out first now returned, holding a bowl of some hot substance.  He could smell it from his position and it smelled foul.  Was that food?  _If that is food, how can humans stand eating it?_ He thought. The female spoke to him, pointing at the counter, on which the other human put the bowl.  Then she dug into one of the cabinets and pulled out a tube and a funnel. 

Realization hit him hard.  That substance wasn’t for them: it was for him.  They were going to force feed him.  _No! No! No!_   His mind screamed as she and the other human approached, one on either side of him.  The male grabbed his mandibles and pulled them out of the way, while the female started threading one end of the tube down his throat. 

“Guuaak!”  He wanted to gag.  He wanted to thrash and rip his head out of their grip, even if it meant a couple of broken mandibles.  But he couldn’t.  Zeno could only just lay there and take it as they violated him in one of the worst ways.  It was a miracle he could still breathe: his lungs and stomach shared the same entryway. 

Once the tube was all the way in, the female attached the funnel to the end of the tube that was sticking out of his mouth.  Then, the male human took the bowl and poured its contents into the funnel.  Zeno could feel the warmth of whatever it was go down the tube, then collect into his stomach.  Whatever it was, he could already tell his stomach didn’t agree with it.  He could feel it wanting to toss up what was put in it, but he couldn’t do that no matter how much he wanted to. 

Then, a new voice sounded from a device on a counter.  The female walked over to it and answered it.  A short conversation ensued, with the female starting to sound annoyed and exasperated.  Finally, she turned the device off and motioned for the other human to follow.  The male inquired about him, pointing at Zeno, but the female responded in a non-concerned voice, making a dismissive gesture.  Both humans then left the room, leaving him alone. 

His stomach hurt.  That tube was still down this throat.  He was strapped to a table.  If another Sangheili came upon him at this moment they would probably die laughing.  That or kill him to put him out of his misery.  Death was preferable right now, but he wanted to go out like a Sangheili: fighting.  Fortunately, the effects of the sedative were now starting to fully wear off.  The question was:  would it wear off completely before the humans returned? 

Every few moments he would test his limbs, seeing how responsive they were.  When they were functional enough to his satisfaction, he started testing his restraints.  Most of them were tight, but the one on his right hand felt loose.  He tugged and pulled at that restraint, all too aware of how long it was taking.  Finally, with a snap, it came loose. 

Quickly, he ripped off the rest of the restraints and yanked that insolent tube out of his throat.  After tossing the offending thing away, he sat on the table’s edge for a few moments, holding his stomach.  Then he retched, expelling the foul liquid onto the floor.  Doing that did not seem to ease the pain in his stomach however, for it still ached.  No time to complain though; he had to get out of here. 

He slipped off the table, being mindful of the puddle he made on the floor and headed for the other room he spotted.  Yes, it was just as he suspected: this room was where they stored the Covenant equipment they had scavenged.  This included his armor, which he quickly reclaimed and put on.  There were also weapons here, though many were dismally low on charge, if there was any charge at all.  Zeno managed to find a plasma rifle and an energy sword that had sufficient charge to last him at least one firefight. 

Before leaving the room, something caught his eye.  On a shelf near the back of the room, there was a curious object.  It was tablet, a rich blue in color, with white symbols etched all over it.  Forerunner symbols.  _The holy relic!_   Zeno realized, his eyes wide with awe.  Before he could grab it and spirit it away from this defiled place, he heard something behind him. 

Turning, he saw the female human enter the room.  She was muttering to herself, lost in thought, and plainly did not notice that he was no longer on the table.  Stupid human.  When she did finally notice him, she froze in place, shock and horror on her face.  Zeno did not hesitate. 

He rushed toward her and grabbed her by her scrawny neck, lifting her with some effort.  “For the dishonor you heaped upon me…You shall die,”  Zeno growled hoarsely.  He doubted she could understand him, but he didn’t care either.  Without another word, he impaled her upon the energy sword.  The human gasped, her mouth quivering in pain before the light of life finally left her eyes.  Zeno tossed her body aside in disgust: he really wanted to torture her as she had with him, but he did not want to risk drawing any attention to himself due to her screams. 

Instead, he returned to the holy relic and picked it up carefully.  Now to find something to put it in, something that could protect it somewhat while still allowing him to fight.  Aware that the other humans may start wondering what was taking the female, he hurried back to the main room and started searching through cabinets.  Finally, he found a rubbery container that was big enough hold the relic.  He dumped the contents that were already in it out onto the counter.  As he put the relic in it, he muttered a quiet prayer, asking the gods for forgiveness for transporting the relic in such a defiled container.  He closed the lid, tucked it under his arm and then headed for the door. 

As he reached the door, pain in his stomach stopped him in his tracks.  He doubled over and retched again, feeling sick and dizzy.  It took a moment for the spell to pass, a long moment he couldn’t afford to waste.  He forced himself to walk, his eyes scanning the corridors and rooms as he passed, hoping he remembered the way back to lift correctly.  A couple of dizzy spells hit him on the way, slowing his progress. 

At one corner, he came face to face with a pair of humans.  Their surprise delayed their response long enough for him to kill them both with a couple of quick bursts from his plasma rifle.  Zeno continued quickly, aware their death screams may alert other humans.  Compounding this, he had no idea how many humans there were in this underground complex, so speed was essential. 

Zeno killed a few more humans, one of which had nearly got a shot off on him.  They were becoming more alert, which meant his chance of escaping at all was rapidly dwindling.  At last, he found the room the lift was in, only to hit by a particularly strong dizzy spell: he nearly collapsed from it.  _Damn._  The spells were not only getting worse, but more frequent.  It was only a matter of time before one really did cause him to faint. 

Once it passed, he took a few steps toward to lift.  He stopped when he noticed it was active.  Coming down actually, if he interpreted the indicator over it correctly, and loaded with humans no doubt.  Swallowing hard, he stepped back and raised his plasma rifle: it was times like this he wished he had a grenade or two on him.  Looking at the charge indicator on the plasma rifle, he wasn’t certain he had enough to take them all out.  

The lift level indicator stopped changing and the doors opened.  Zeno nearly squeezed the trigger, but then realized that there was nothing there.  _How odd.  Are humans in the habit of sending a lift down with no one aboard?_  

“Zeno?”  A familiar, and quite welcome voice said.  Much to his relief a Sangheili form materialized before him. 

“Miko…,”  Zeno said, nearly collapsing from gratefulness.  He had forgotten Miko and the others were even out there, waiting for the right moment to come in. 

“Looks like you managed to free yourself,” the SpecOps said.  “Now we just need to find the relic.” 

“Here.”  Zeno indicated the container he was holding. 

Miko blinked a couple times in shock.  “Well done, Zeno.  Let us get out of here then.” 

“Yes…Please.”  Zeno groaned, wincing as a bolt of pain shot through his stomach. 

“Are you alright?” 

“No….” 

Miko nodded and activated the lift.  “Commander,” he said into his comm.  “I have both Zeno and the relic.  We will explain later.” 

“Where are the others?” Zeno asked once Miko finished this report. 

“They are going to distract the humans while we make our escape.” 

Zeno nodded; then slumped against the wall of the lift, groaning in pain.  He hated showing this weakness to a comrade, but the pain was too intense to hide. 

“Zeno,”  Miko knelt beside him.  “You look terrible.” 

“I feel it….” 

“Just what did they do to you?” 

“You do not want to know.” 

“Then they will pay for what they did.” 

“Some already have,”  Zeno said with a grin.  The pleasure he felt from recalling the heathen’s death disappeared as a bolt of pain shot through his body.  “Ugh…I do not know how much longer I will be able to remain conscious….” 

“Fight it as long as you can, Zeno.  I cannot protect you if I have to carry you.” 

“You think you can? It took four humans to carry me.” 

Miko punched him in the arm.  “I may be short but I am not a weak human.  _Waros_.” 

Zeno chuckled, which only made his stomach complain again.  When the lift stopped, Miko helped him right himself.  They exited the lift and stood by the door leading outside.  Zeno could hear the sounds of battle just beyond it.  Miko cloaked, took a peek outside and then came back in again.  “It is chaos out there,” he said, reappearing.  “Bateli and Justal are sniping from the forest edge.  The commander and Sefo are just inside the main gate, under cover, making sure they do not close it on us.” 

“So Justal _is_ good for something,” Zeno said. 

Miko chuckled at that: then his face turned serious.  “There is no cover between here and the gate.  Think you can manage a sprint for it?” 

“I have no choice _but_ do so if I want to make it out of here.” 

The other Sangheili nodded.  “Stay as close to me as you can.  On my mark.”  Miko opened the door and the pair watched the scene outside for a moment.  “Now!” 

Miko took off in a sprint, Zeno right behind him, clutching the relic against his chest.  Already, he could feel himself slowing, his legs and lungs complaining from the sudden exertion.  He was falling behind.  _No…I cannot fail,_   Zeno thought, forcing himself to pick up speed again.  _I cannot allow the relic…To fall back into human hands._  

Around him, bullets started whizzing past as the humans became aware of his presence.  Ahead of him, Anko and Sefo started concentrating their fire on the humans firing upon him.  Miko himself started firing as well and between the three of them, the humans had to duck back to what little cover there was or die.  _Almost there…Almost there!_   The gate loomed ahead of him, Miko was already there, adding to the cover fire. 

Then, as he reached the gate, there was a sudden overwhelming pain in his leg.  A pulled muscle?  Was he shot?  With a scream of pain, he started to fall.  Two pairs of strong arms caught him and carried him through the gate.  The pain in his leg and his stomach combined to make it hard to concentrate on much: it was taking all his will to stay conscious.  He was aware when they entered the forest, as it was then they finally stopped.  Zeno was then gently put down and he finally was able to focus on who had taken the risk to carry him.  Miko was one, but the other was Anko himself.  Zeno wasn’t sure if that should be considered an honor or _dis_ honor. 

“Well done,” Anko said.  “All of you.  Zeno, you can let go of the relic now.” 

Zeno looked down and realized he was still clutching it.  With a nod, he handed it to the commander, whom ripped open the container and removed the relic within.  “Excellent.  Now there is one last thing to do.”  He lifted his head to the sky.  “Ship master.  It is time.” 

In the distance, Zeno saw the shape of a destroyer.  It grew bigger and bigger until it loomed over the human base in all its glory.  A ring on the underside glowed hot and then shot downward with a beam of hot plasma.  Within seconds, the human base, and all the humans within it, was nothing more then ash and molten slag.  A few short seconds, and the human taint had been cleansed. 

“Well, that was exhilarating,” Justal said, coming into view along with Bateli.  “And it appears I owe you an apology, Zeno.” 

“Well…That certainly is unbecoming of you, Justal,” Miko said, mandibles forming a smirk.  “Admitting you are wrong…” 

“Do not push it, Miko.  I still do not like you.” 

“Awww.”  The look on Miko’s face was one of mock disappointment. 

“It is time for us to return to the _Seeker of Truth_ ,” Anko said.  “Zeno, are you ready to return with us?” 

“Yes, sir!”  Zeno said eagerly, struggling to his feet.  The pain in his leg flared, making him swoon and nearly faint.  After putting all his weight on his good leg and using a tree for support, he felt the other with a hand.  He couldn’t find any wounds, though one of the muscles in his thigh felt wrong.  A pulled muscle.  _Wonderful_.  He would rather have been shot. 

His attention turned to the sweet sound of a Spirit approaching.  Oh how he had wanted to hear such a thing again!  Miko came over and offered to assist him, which Zeno gladly accepted.  Despite keeping off it, the few motions he did make with his injured leg sent shock-waves of pain through him. 

Then, a few feet away from the gravity beam that would have taken him into the Spirit, his stomach had its turn.  _Dear gods._ This pain was intense!  Zeno doubled over, one hand clutching his abdomen.  That triggered another dizzy spell and it ended up being too much for his mind to take. 

He was unconscious before he had hit the ground. 

\-- 

Zeno slowly regained consciousness, feeling like he had been at a week-long party.  Everything was fuzzy and undefined at first, but became clearer every time he blinked.  Once his vision was clear enough he looked around, quickly recognizing that he was in a hospital room.  _Ugh,_   Zeno thought with distaste.  _Those medics had better not have made me bleed._   It was bad enough a human stole some of his blood; he didn’t want a _medic_ to be spilling it even more. 

“Ah, you are finally awake,” a voice said.  Zeno looked toward the source to see Anko entering his room.  “How are you feeling?” 

“Like I have the mother of all hangovers, sir,”  Zeno said with a groan. 

“As to be expected, considering they had to keep you sedated for your own safety until now.” 

That came as a surprise to him. “I must have been in worse shape then I thought….” 

“Indeed. Your body was starting to consume your own organs for fuel.  That was why you were feeling such intense pain.” 

“My leg?” 

“Only a minor sprain.  There was no need to operate.” 

“Thank the Forerunners.  How long was I out?” 

“Nearly a week.  We had to have you transferred to here in _High Charity_ to ensure you received the treatment you needed.” 

Zeno’s eyes widened.  He was in the holy city itself?  That was another shock he wasn’t expecting.  “ _High Charity_...I never thought I would be able to visit the holy city.” 

“You will have your chance to explore it soon enough,” Anko said with a smile.  “I spoke to the High Council on your behalf, Zeno, and they were impressed by your willingness to sacrifice yourself for the mission.  They will ensure that your record is corrected.” 

Zeno sighed with relief, a burden lifting off his shoulders.  “So what am I to do now, commander?  I surely cannot go back to Yuteri’s unit.” 

The SpecOps commander had a slightly sly smile on his face.  “You let me worry about that, Zeno.  In the mean time, you are the stay here and rest until you are cleared for release.  Understood?” 

“Yes sir.  Thank you….” 

Anko nodded and then departed the way he came.  Zeno sighed and closed his eyes, a smile on his face.  With Yuteri’s lies erased, he had a new life, a fresh start, awaiting him. 

He couldn’t wait to see what it was. 

\-- 

 _//////INCOMING TRANSMISSION\\\\\\\\\\\_  

**Office of Naval Intelligence Priority Message, 04428H1-N1**

**Subject:** OPERATION PESTILANCE

 **Encryption code** : Black

 **Classification** : Top Secret 

/start file/ 

 _Facility at Truy V has been compromised.  All data involving OPERATION PESTILANCE was either destroyed or is otherwise unrecoverable.  Level of enemy knowledge of project unknown, therefore chance of enemy awareness too great to continue.  Recommend project termination._  

/end file/


End file.
